MANCHESTER -- Pep Guardiola has predicted that Xabi Alonso will make a great manager after the Bayern Munich midfielder announced his retirement at the end of the season.
Former Bayern boss Guardiola brought Alonso to the Allianz Arena and the pair won two Bundesliga titles before Guardiola moved to Manchester City last summer.
They had previously been rivals in Spain when Guardiola's Barcelona were fighting for the title with Alonso's Real Madrid.
But Guardiola was impressed with the 35-year-old and said that as well as being a hugely influential footballer, he took keen interest in the preparation and tactics for matches.
"We were rivals, big rivals when he was at Real Madrid, and after I was so lucky to have him in Munich," Guardiola told a news conference ahead of City's FA Cup clash with Middlesbrough on Saturday.
"He will come back soon as a manager. I bet, wherever he wants, he will become a manager and will be good.
"How the people speak about him -- all the managers that he had in his career -- is like a human being. One of the best midfielders I've ever seen in my life.
"He understands the game and has curiosity to understand the game. He knew during the weeks what we would have to do to win the next games, to beat them. He already had the curiosity to know.
"I love to work with these kinds of people. Normally that happens with the midfield players -- in Barcelona, with Javier Mascherano, Sergio Busquets, here with David Silva and Fernandinho.
"They are involved in what you are doing and why you are doing it. It's marvellous as a manager to have these kind of players."
Alonso is the second Bayern player to announce he will retire at the end of the season, following defender Philipp Lahm.