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Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi has backed Pep Guardiola to "change the face of English football" when he takes over as manager of Manchester City. Guardiola will officially take over from Manuel Pellegrini at City on July 1 and will be expected to immediately challenge for the title. City only finished fourth in the Premier League last season, meaning they face a Champions League qualifier that could pit them against AS Roma. Guardiola heads to the Premier League having won a hat trick of Bundesliga titles, and twice having done the Double, in Germany with Bayern Munich. Xavi, who was a key player for Guardiola in his four years in charge of Barca, thinks Guardiola will have a huge impact not just on City but the Premier League as a whole. "It is a big opportunity for him at Manchester City. I think he will change the face of English football," Xavi told the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy in Dohar, where he is now playing for Al Sadd. "If there is anyone capable of changing that mentality, it is Guardiola. "It is a great opportunity but there will also be a lot of pressure, because everyone always expects a lot from Pep Guardiola. But he is without doubt one of the best coaches in the world at the moment. "Guardiola thinks about football all the time, he is obsessive in his attention to detail. We still talk regularly and discuss football." Guardiola is also set to renew hostilities with former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, who is expected to be confirmed as the new manager of Manchester United this week. Carlo Ancelotti, who is to replace Guardiola at Bayern, has echoed Xavi's comments. "Every manager brings his style, his methodology and Guardiola will do the same [at Man City]," Ancelotti told the Daily Telegraph. "When Guardiola left Barcelona, people said: 'Ah he is not able to repeat the same style of play at Bayern Munich because he doesn't have [Lionel] Messi.' "But by the end Bayern were playing with the same style as Barcelona. Different players but the style is there. It will be the same at Manchester City. They will play with possession and control of the game. Guardiola for this reason is a fantastic manager because he is able to build a really strong identity of his team. "When I arrived at Chelsea, they had the culture and the organisation you would expect of Manchester United or Real Madrid. You cannot change the culture and the tradition and the history of these clubs. You can bring your idea and your style. "I think Manchester City signed Guardiola for this reason, to establish a new identity, a new style, a new culture. At the end Manchester City is a young team, it is not a team with the tradition of Manchester United or Arsenal."
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