Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is a victim of envy in England, according to Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi.

He said on Bobo TV: “Against Manchester City the only thing that bothered me was lost possession, 60 to 40. I told Pep about it after the game.

“I love him, he’s the person who helped me the most when I arrived in England: he immediately telephoned me to say a good word to me and ask me if I needed anything.

“He is the number one in history together with (Arrigo) Sacchi and a few others. There is so much envy towards him. What more should he do? He has won everything in his career and it is a great merit.”

Meanwhile, according to Stan Collymore, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola isn’t a genius despite winning the treble with Manchester City this season.

Collymore told Caught Offside: “I think Guardiola is an excellent coach but I think he would be the first to admit that the vast majority of his ideas and playing flexibility, playing players out of position, trying them in different positions… it’s just Ajax from the 1970s, the Ajax of Johan Cruyff and Neeskens, when players took up and learned new positions.

“All that Pep Guardiola has done is use the Ajax philosophy which had a direct imprint on Cruyff’s Barcelona and that’s manifested itself at Man City. So I don’t think he’s a genius.

“If he was, he would’ve seen John Stones in that hybrid role six years ago when he was defending his player to the hilt after consistent mistakes from him.

“So, it’s taken six years for Guardiola’s ‘genius’ to come to the fore. It’s come about as a result of players being injured, Pep knowing that he has a central defender who can graft but is also a decent ball player and thinking ‘I’ll give him an opportunity there.’

“Pep is prepared to try things. If you’re an 18-year-old disciple of Pep and your footballing paradigm is shaped by the Busquets and Xavi team, and you’ve blaugrana rose tinted glasses on, you’re always going to think that every decision that Pep makes is a genius move.

“What I would say is if he is the genius people think he is, why didn’t he think of putting John Stones in that hybrid role six years ago? I give Pep credit for taking risks because a lot of the time in sport you have to.

“Owners like to employ managers who play it safe. There aren’t many innovators in the game but where Pep rightly gets the plaudits is for taking risks.

“It’s not innovation, there are no Pep innovations. It’s the risk to get the reward, and that’s where the quality of Guardiola is evident.”