Guardiola picks up another honor in Manchester. This one is from its university
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Manchester on Monday to recognize his contribution on and off the field since joining the club in 2016.
Guardiola was presented with an honorary doctorate by the university's chancellor at a ceremony to honor his success with City, including leading the team to six Premier League titles and the Champions League, and in the community, notably through his Guardiola Sala Foundation.
'I have spent nine years here and it has become home,' Guardiola said. 'The people, the culture, my incredible football club, my colleagues … it is all so special to me and my family.
'When I arrived here in 2016, I did not know how long I would spend here. The way this city embraced me made everything easy. My time here has been beautiful.'
Professor Duncan Ivison, who is the university's president and vice chancellor, described Guardiola as an 'innovator and a winner who has inspired millions of people through his success as a manager.'
'He has played a huge role in making Manchester a global success story,' he said, 'and we are honored that he has chosen to accept this degree. I hope that this forges another important connection between him, the University of Manchester, and the city.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
33 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Deion Sanders absent from football camps in Boulder, Colorado. No reason specified by school
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders has not attended football camps in Boulder, Colorado, this spring. The University of Colorado said it couldn't comment on a reason for his absence. ESPN, citing a source it did not name, said Sanders has been ill and out of the office recently. Over the weekend, his son Deion Sanders Jr. posted a livestream video on YouTube in which he said his father remains at his Texas home and 'feeling well," according to USA Today. His son added in the video: 'He'll tell y'all soon enough what he's going through.' Sanders is required to operate a minimum of three on-campus football camps, according to the contract extension he signed in March. Sanders' deal runs through the 2029 season and made him the highest-paid football coach in the Big 12 Conference. The 57-year-old Sanders has struggled with his left foot since having two toes amputated in 2021 because of blood clot issues while at Jackson State. He missed media day in 2023, his first year at Colorado, after a procedure to remove a blood clot from his right leg and another to straighten toes on his left foot. Sanders was a scratch last weekend as a keynote speaker at the Sickle Cell Disease Research and Educational Symposium in Florida. The organization posted on social media that 'due to an unavoidable last-minute scheduling change, our originally scheduled Foundation Keynote Speaker, Deion Sanders 'Coach Prime' is unable to attend.' Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson was his replacement. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
33 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Huijsen recalls Mourinho and idol Sergio Ramos as he is introduced by Real Madrid
MADRID (AP) — Dean Huijsen thanked former coach Jose Mourinho and talked about his "idol" Sergio Ramos as the center back was introduced by Real Madrid in what he called 'the best day" of his life on Tuesday. The 20-year-old Spain international was signed by Madrid from Bournemouth in May to give the Spanish powerhouse its first reinforcement for next season. He signed a five-year deal after Madrid activated the player's 50-million pound (then $66.4 million) buyout clause. 'It's the best day of my life,' he said. "It's a dream to be here, and I'm going to give everything for the team. For me, Real Madrid is the best club in the world, and there is no other team like it.' Huijsen thanked Mourinho for bringing him to Roma on a loan from Juventus in January 2024. 'I was at Christmas dinner with my family when Mourinho called," he said. "When he calls, you have to listen. He's one of the greatest in the history of soccer, and I'm very grateful to him.' Mourinho had called Huijsen one of the 'best prospects in European soccer.' The young defender, who earned a first call-up by Spain for the Nations League playoffs in March, said he received a message from former Madrid star Ramos when his signing was made official. 'He's my biggest idol, the best center back in history,' Huijsen said. "I admire everything about him, he's the most complete center back. My first fond memory is the final of the (Champions league in 2014), when he scored in the last minute of added time. I was 9 years old.' Huijsen said he already talked with new team coach Xabi Alonso about his roles with the club that needs to rebuild a defense after multiple injuries to its backline during a mostly disappointing 2024-25 season. 'We talked a little about what he expects from me. I think it's going to be a great few years,' Huijsen said. "I think I fit in very well with the style of football Xabi wants to play. I'm going to try to contribute as much as I can, and I'll be delighted to help.' The highly rated defender was being sought after by other clubs in the Premier League after his standout season with Bournemouth. The skilled Dutch-born center back joined the Premier League team from Juventus for a reported 12.5 million pounds (then $16.6 million) in the offseason last year. He was a regular for Bournemouth since breaking into the team in November.
San Francisco Chronicle
33 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Dustin Johnson says he 'can grind for another six years' before stepping away
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — So much about Dustin Johnson returning to Oakmont is about reliving past glory. He won his first major championship at the U.S. Open under extreme and bizarre conditions that allowed him to exorcise so many demons in the majors and become the best player in the world. That was nine years ago. The question now is how much golf he has left. 'I think I've got another six years in me,' Johnson said, contemplating the question only briefly before coming up with a most arbitrary number. 'I can grind for another six years. And then I'm going fishing.' Johnson already has a Hall of Fame career with his 24 titles on the PGA Tour, two majors, the only player to sweep the World Golf Championships, one of only five players to have been No. 1 in the world for more than 100 weeks. He turns 41 in two weeks. Why grind? 'Because I want to get back,' he said. 'Because I know I've still got it.' Johnson was the biggest name to sign with Saudi-funded LIV Golf in 2022 when the golf world was turned upside down. He was on the fringe of contention that summer at St. Andrews and the next year in the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. He won in each of the first three years on the rival circuit of short fields (54 players) and short weeks (54 holes). The last 16 months have made him feel like an afterthought. He has not finished among the top three on LIV in his last 20 events. He has missed the cut in five of his last seven majors. He tied for 10th last week on LIV, which he considered progress. 'I feel like my game's been really close," he said. 'I haven't really got a lot out of it. So it was definitely nice to have a nice finish last week. I played good every day. I didn't ... you know, still kind of giving away some shots. I need to clean that up a little bit." There is rarely any urgency to anything Johnson does, and that six-year window comes with a caveat. He has two more years left on his 10-year exemption from winning at Oakmont in 2016. Next month will be his last free pass to the British Open from his 2020 Masters victory. He needed a special invitation to the PGA Championship this year. Johnson has played only one non-major since joining LIV. That was the Saudi International at the end of last year. He missed the cut. Yes, Oakmont seems like a long time ago. Few players have endured more misfortune in the majors and have been able to shake it off. There was the 82 in the final round at Pebble Beach in the 2010 U.S. Open. He was knocked out of a playoff at Whistling Straits that year in the PGA Championship for setting his 4-iron into sand where spectators had been sitting. That was deemed to be a bunker. He had a 12-foot eagle putt to win the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, only for it to slide some 4 feet by on a green that had hardly any grass. He missed the birdie putt and finished one behind Jordan Spieth. His mental toughness is underrated. Imagine playing the last seven holes of a U.S. Open not knowing the score because the USGA was trying to decide whether to penalize him for a ball that moved on the fifth green of the final round at Oakmont. Johnson played on, not giving it another thought, winning by three after he was assessed one penalty shot in scoring. 'That Sunday was a little weird,' he said. Chaos would have been another word to describe it. That's not in Johnson's vocabulary even though it seems like it should be. Ask almost any PGA Tour loyalist which LIV player they miss seeing, and Johnson's name is at the top of the list. 'There have been two guys since 2010 that I thought in full flight, I loved watching them play. And it was Rory (McIlroy) and DJ,' Adam Scott said. Scott recalled a morning round at Riviera in the cool Pacific air. They were playing the 13th, which bends to the left around the eucalyptus trees. Scott hit a perfect draw. Johnson unloaded his high cut over the trees, a carry of nearly 310 yards in the heavy air. 'I just thought, 'That is insane.' Just the freedom he played with and the freedom of the swing and athleticism,' Scott said. 'And then he gets up and hit a three-finger 7-iron, super soft, a buttery shot after pounding one. Super impressive.' Those were the days. Those are the memories, all while Johnson is trying to believe he can create new ones. He is running out of time. And that's OK. When not on LIV — and not fishing — he is home with his two boys, Tatum and River. The latter was born on the Monday before Johnson's U.S. Open title defense at Erin Hills. He says he would have withdrawn if he wasn't the defending champion. He missed the cut. Back then, a missed cut at a major was rare. Now he is searching for a good week of driving, like he had at Oakmont in 2016. He is playing with Spieth, his longtime partner at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Those were fun days. 'It's always good to play majors. It's the only time to see the other guys,' Johnson said. 'We've got a good group in LIV, but I don't get to see everybody. Hopefully, things will kind of come back together somehow.' Within six years? Johnson was asked if he could see himself on the PGA Tour Champions if it ever got sorted out. 'I've always said if I'm playing the Champions tour, something really, really went wrong," he said, breaking into a big smile before adding, 'But with me, there's always that chance.'
