Pep Guardiola is ‘football-obsessed’ and was always going to deliver success at Manchester City, says Barcelona legend Xavi.

The former Blaugrana and Bayern Munich boss was taken to the Etihad Stadium in 2016. His debut campaign in England delivered no silverware, with a rare blank drawn by a man accustomed to adding to his medal collection on an annual basis.

That early setback has since been countered by two Premier League titles, an FA Cup triumph and a hat-trick of League Cup successes – with his efforts including a 100-point haul in 2017-18 and an historic domestic treble in 2018-19.

Xavi is not surprised to see Guardiola delivering the goods in Manchester, with the 49-year-old guaranteeing trophies if given time in which to get his message across.

A man who formed part of an iconic Barca side pieced together by the Catalan coach told City’s official website: ‘With Guardiola as manager, I had no doubt [City would dominate].

‘Admittedly, the first year was tough for him because you always have to adapt to the different style and standards, even a different culture or background.

‘However, there was no question that Guardiola was going to be successful. I have said this many times before, and in many interviews: all he needed was time.’

Having spent many years working under Guardiola, Xavi is looking to put the lessons he learned to good use.

The 40-year-old World Cup winner, who has seen a return to Barca mooted, has cut his managerial teeth with Qatari side Al Sadd.

‘My concept is very similar,’ Xavi said of following in footsteps of an illustrious mentor. “Guardiola also wants to be dominant, he wants to have the ball, strong possession, lots of attacking movements. It’s ultimately about being proactive within the game.

‘It’s about skilfully attacking the opponent in a certain way. In this sense it is not my idea.

‘I’ve learned a lot with Guardiola, from the way he is, the ambition he has, the desire and passion that he feels. He’s a football-obsessed tactician and it has been a pleasure to be around him.

‘We talk often. We’ve got a good relationship. We met up in the summer and grabbed a bite to eat, which was really nice.

‘To be honest, I consider him the best coach in the world right now. So any knowledge he can impart to me will be more than welcome. It’s a privilege to have him around contributing ideas.’