Pep Guardiola has not been Lionel Messi’s coach since 2012, but he is far from having forgotten him. Asked by a journalist from Telemundo Deportes what Lionel Messi represented in his career, Pep Guardiola’s answer was crystal clear: “Everything. Absolutely everything “. The former Barça coach, from 2008 to 2012, spoke about his then team and the importance of Messi in it: “He made me more competitive. We had an impressive group of players, there were a lot of stars who created a unique chemistry between them. Without him, we would have won too. But as much? Impossible “. Together they won two Champions Leagues and three Spanish league titles.
Speaking at length about Messi’s career, the former Barça and Bayern Munich coach hailed his first title won with Argentina last summer: “It must have been a great release for him to win the Copa America”. Abundant on the presence of the 34-year-old PSG player in Qatar for what could be his last World Cup, he wished the best to his former player: “I hope he will be physically fit, that he will will train well and come in strong. It’s not easy to be Lionel Messi in the world of football.
The Spanish technician compared his coach-player relationship with a legendary basketball duo: “I felt what Phil Jackson must have felt with Michael Jordan, because I had Leo Messi”. With Guardiola on the Catalan bench, Messi scored 221 goals in 219 games and delivered 91 assists, between 2008 and 2012. “I owe him a bottle of wine to thank him for all the contracts he made me sign” , added, smiling, the Manchester City coach. After their 1-0 victory in the first leg, his team faces Atlético de Madrid tonight for the return of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.