Born in 1976 in Sampedor, Catalonia, into a family deeply rooted in football culture, Pere Guardiola grew up in an environment where the ball was omnipresent. Like his younger brother Pep — the future legendary coach of FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City — Pere was introduced to football at a very early age.
He took his first steps as a player at Gimnàstic de Manresa, a local club, where he spent nearly fifteen years. A modest footballer without a high-level professional career, he nonetheless developed a deep understanding of the game, dressing rooms and club operations — knowledge that would later prove fundamental to his professional reconversion.
Alongside football, Pere pursued studies in electromechanics, before turning to marketing, a decisive shift that opened the doors to the world of sports business.
In 1997, at just 26 years old, Pere Guardiola ended his amateur football career to join Nike, the global sportswear giant. He would spend twelve crucial years there, steadily climbing the corporate ladder and building an exceptionally powerful network.
He began in the Sports Marketing department, managing the commercial assets of players, clubs, federations and sporting events under contract with the Swoosh brand. In particular, he worked on sponsorship agreements involving FC Barcelona players and members of the Spanish national team.
During this period, his close professional relationship with Sandro Rosell developed, before Rosell was promoted to head Nike’s operations in Brazil. Pere’s seriousness, negotiation skills and ability to manage human relationships quickly earned him access to key strategic responsibilities.
Under his supervision, Nike signed or reinforced major endorsement deals with elite players such as:
Andrés Iniesta
• Carles Puyol
• Víctor Valdés
• Cesc Fàbregas
• Sergio Ramos
• Gerard Piqué
• Sergio Busquets
• Juan Mata
In 2004, Nike entrusted him with the global management of two planetary icons: Ronaldo Nazário and Ronaldinho Gaúcho. Pere oversaw their worldwide logistics, image rights, marketing obligations and international tours.
This experience propelled him into the exclusive circle of global football decision-makers.
In 2007, he became Football Manager for Spain and Portugal at Nike, supervising all football-related operations for the brand across the Iberian Peninsula.
In 2009, armed with an elite network and vast expertise, Pere left Nike to co-found, alongside Jaume Roures (president of Mediapro), the player representation and sports consultancy agency Media Base Sports.
The objective was clear: to provide full-service support to footballers and coaches, covering:
• career management
• transfers
• image rights
• legal matters
• taxation
• wealth strategy
The agency quickly attracted high-profile clients:
• Pep Guardiola (coach)
• Andrés Iniesta
• Luis Suárez
• Thiago Alcântara
• William Carvalho
• Yuri Berchiche
• Junior Firpo
• Brahim Díaz
The most emblematic operation remains the transfer of Luis Suárez to FC Barcelona in 2014, following the World Cup. Pere masterminded negotiations in a highly complex sporting and media environment.
From London, where he resides, the majority shareholder (55%) of the company manages the Spanish agency while reinvesting profits through financial structures based in Switzerland and Malta — a legal yet strategic optimization approach, reflecting his tactical acumen, much like his brother.
Within a decade, Media Base Sports established itself as one of the most influential agencies in Spain and Portugal, specializing in the detection and development of Iberian young talent.
From 2015 onwards, Pere Guardiola embarked on a project of a completely different scale: the takeover and restructuring of Girona FC, a Catalan club long confined to Spain’s lower divisions.
When the City Football Group (CFG) — the Abu Dhabi-backed conglomerate that owns Manchester City — entered Girona’s shareholding structure in 2017, it acquired 44.3% of the club.
The remaining 44.3% stake was purchased by Girona Football Group, an entity owned by Pere Guardiola. In addition, Pere personally covered a €4.5 million financial deficit in 2015. An overall investment estimated at €7 million allowed Pere and CFG to jointly control 88.6% of the club.
Three years later, Pere became chairman of the board of directors, a role he combined with his responsibilities within Sports Entertainment Group (SEG), a leading football agency he joined in 2021.
An ambitious project
The vision was clear:
• stabilize Girona in La Liga
• modernize the sporting structure
• professionalize club management
• integrate Girona into the global City Football Group ecosystem
Girona thus became a strategic development platform for young talents, welcoming numerous Manchester City loanees, including:
• Aleix García
• Pablo Maffeo
• Douglas Luiz
• Marlos Moreno
• Olarenwaju Kayode
Under Pere Guardiola’s leadership, Girona experienced a spectacular rise. The club transformed from underdog into a credible La Liga contender, reaching the top of the table during the 2023–2024 season, ahead of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
This success was built on:
• intelligent recruitment strategy
• rigorous financial management
• exploitation of the City Football Group’s global network
• stable governance
His leadership style is widely praised: calm, rational, resilient. Manchester City executives highlight his crisis-management skills and project-building ability.
Txiki Begiristain:
“He is reliable, skillful, competent and highly intelligent.”
Ferran Soriano:
“He never panics. He always finds solutions.”
Quique Cárcel, Girona’s sporting director:
“He solves every problem. He’s like a footballer capable of scoring a last-minute penalty.”
Pere Guardiola’s rise has not been without controversy. His dual role as a powerful agent and club executive has frequently raised questions about potential conflicts of interest, particularly regarding the close relationship between Manchester City and Girona following his partnership with City’s Abu Dhabi ownership group to acquire 88% of the Spanish club.
Nevertheless, no conflict of interest has ever been legally established, notably concerning Manchester City’s player loans to Girona, even if such operations appeared to indirectly benefit Pere.
Indeed, English FA regulations, which prohibit intermediaries from holding stakes in clubs, apply only to English clubs. The Spanish FA does not operate under similar legislation, meaning the transaction was carried out entirely within legal frameworks.
