Messi hasn’t labored with Guardiola since 2012, however nonetheless sees him as a coach of unmatched abilities.
Lionel Messi has lauded Pep Guardiola as the very best coach in soccer, labelling the Manchester City supervisor as a “distinctive” determine who has “one thing completely different” separating him from the remainder.
Messi emerged at Barcelona below the steering of Frank Rijkaard, but it surely was below Guardiola that he rose to superstardom as the focus of a dominant Barca aspect that received three LaLiga titles and two Champions League crowns with their former captain on the helm.
Guardiola departed after the 2011-12 season, ending a four-year spell that noticed him win 14 trophies.
He adopted up that tenure with seven trophies in three seasons at Bayern Munich, although the Champions League eluded him, earlier than happening to firmly set up Metropolis because the dominant pressure in English soccer.
Guardiola has received 18 trophies since taking up at Metropolis in 2016, together with six Premier League titles and the 2022-23 Champions League.
Messi: Guardiola is exclusive
Whereas Messi has labored with a number of different coaches since Guardiola departed Camp Nou, the now-Inter Miami ahead believes there’s no person in world soccer who can match him.
“For me, Guardiola is exclusive,” Messi instructed ESPN.
“There are terribly good coaches, however he has one thing completely different. For me, he’s the very best of all of them.
“Relating to seeing issues, getting ready for matches, and speaking with the gamers, he’s very full.
“He’s the very best, and we had been fortunate to have him at Barcelona.
“He obtained along with the gamers we had and the proper items got here collectively for what he meant, to attain all the things that was achieved.”
Messi has been notably impressed with Guardiola’s affect on English soccer, with groups throughout the Premier League and committing to his fashion of soccer in taking part in out from defence.
“He went to different locations and continued profitable,” Messi added. “It’s not simply due to profitable however due to the best way his groups performed.
“He did at Bayern, though he couldn’t win the Champions League there, he modified the best way the sport was performed in Germany, the identical in England with Metropolis, he modified the best way the league is performed.”
