Real Betis coach Gus Poyet said he is tired of football's adoration of current Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola and credits Atletico Madrid counterpart Diego Simeone for showing him a different managerial approach.
Simeone's Atletico have challenged Europe's and Spain's top clubs, with the 46-year-old giving his team a clear identity and philosophy.
Guardiola guided Barcelona to the treble in his first managerial season, and is credited with establishing the Catalan club's style, winning 14 trophies in the four years he spent at the helm before moving to Bayern Munich.
Poyet, who took over La Liga side Real Betis this summer, told Marca: "I'm very grateful to [Diego] Simeone because he showed that the football world is not just [former Barcelona and Manchester City coach] Pep [Guardiola].
"[Simeone] has shown to all of the coaches in the world that there is another way, because I was a bit fed up that so many people followed Guardiola's style.
"In each country there was a Guardiola. And it's a lie because what Barcelona do only Barcelona can do. Don't get me wrong, I love their [Guardiola and Barcelona's] style, I identify with it but it cannot be done.
"If you are able to convince all of your players with your idea, you can offer an exceptional level."
A former Atletico player and Argentina international, Simeone has won the Europa League, Copa del Rey and the La Liga title in his four-and-a-half seasons at the helm of the Rojiblancos.
He has steered Atletico to two Champions League finals in the last three years, both of them ending in narrow defeats to Real Madrid.
But Simeone is not the only coach for whom Poyet has a lot of admiration in La Liga.
The Uruguayan tactician said Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is already showing that he was not just talented as a football player but also on the sidelines.
"I think Zidane is an impressive coach, who did something incredible," the former Sunderland tactician said. "He won a Champions League, which is the life dream of any coach, in just five minutes. He did so by making one exceptional move. Zidane was the one who played Casemiro behind [Luka] Modric and [Toni] Kroos. He gave an incredible balance of which his strikers and defenders took advantage of."
Promoted from his position as head coach of the club's reserve team, Castilla, as Rafa Benitez's replacement in January, three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Zidane steered Real to a runners-up finish in La Liga and to Champions League glory in Milan.
Real defeated Atletico on penalties last season to lift their 11th European Cup.
Betis and Poyet, whose first job as coach was with English team Brighton and Hove Albion between 2009-13, host Zidane's Real Madrid on Saturday in La Liga.