'The numbers are insane': Guardiola reaches 1,000 games in a coaching career that's changed soccer

It all started on Sept. 2, 2007, in a Spanish fourth-tier game against Premia in front of around 2,000 fans.

Eighteen years later, Pep Guardiola will reach 1,000 games as a coach when he leads Manchester City into one of the biggest games in world soccer — against Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.

“I never thought for one second about reaching 1,000 games,” the 54-year-old Guardiola said. “You just want to do a good job, play football the right way and see what happens.”

From his first job with Barcelona ‘B’ to trophy-laden stints with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City, Guardiola has changed the face of soccer in his remarkable coaching career.

He thanked all the great players — they include Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne — that have helped h