Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola's ability to analyse the "smallest details" is what makes him "different" to other managers, according to Fernandinho.
Guardiola has enjoyed unprecedented success as a head coach since taking up his first role at Barcelona in 2008.
The 49-year-old led the Blaugrana to three La Liga titles and two European Cups, before deciding to take a year's sabbatical in 2012.
Bayern Munich came calling 12 months later and he was able to add another seven trophies to his impressive collection while in Germany, including three successive Bundesliga crowns.
The opportunity to manage in the Premier League with City then presented itself in 2016, and Guardiola has since enjoyed the same levels of success in English football.
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City have won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three Carabao Cups under the Spaniard's stewardship, with more silverware lined up if the 2019-20 campaign resumes this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Fernandinho says Guardiola's meticulous approach is what sets him apart from his peers, with emphasis placed on researching the strengths and weaknesses of each and every opponent.
The City star told Sky Sports: "I always say that the difference between him and the other coaches I've had during my time in football is that he looks at the smallest details.
"He gives you the information you need about the opponent and of course about yourself, and he spends a lot of time looking at where to find spaces and where to close spaces to create difficulties for the opponent.
"That's important because the game we see, as players and coaches, is a bit different from the public who go to the stadium or watch the games on TV. Those details help you to improve, to perform better and to help the team.
"I now have to talk to the guys in front of me, to tell them to keep going. That's another of the ways he has helped me during this time. But also, the principle of the game is still the same. We like to play with the ball, and when we don't have the ball, we try to recover it as soon as possible."
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Fernandinho was forced to adapt to a new role in the heart of City's defence earlier this season after Aymeric Laporte was struck down with a long-term injury.
The Brazilian, who had always been a midfielder by trade, admits he found the transition "strange" at first, but soon got used to his new role in Guardiola's starting XI.
"I think the biggest challenge of moving to centre-back for me was that, as a midfielder, you are used to running a lot in front," Fernandinho added.
"You go to the battle in the middle and you can lose the ball or you can win the ball.
"But at centre-back, you have a lot of space behind us, between the central defenders and the goalkeeper, and you have to pay attention to that because most of the teams who come to play against us look to play those kinds of balls behind the back four.
"For me, in the beginning, it was a little bit strange adapting to that, but afterwards, I was able to do it."
