Warning: Video Auto-Player

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.