Lionel Messi says Pep Guardiola ‘did football a lot of harm’ and says the Man City coach was ‘special’

Lionel Messi has ironically claimed that former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola did football harm by making the game look so easy that everyone else wanted to copy it.

At Barcelona, Lionel Messi was managed by Pep Guardiola from 2008 to 2012. During his time at the Camp Nou, the Spanish manager won four La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions Leagues, two Copa del Reys, three Spanish Super Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and two FIFA Club World Cups. It was at Barcelona that Guardiola started his managerial career, and his time at the Catalan club is considered one of the most successful eras in the history of the club .

With Messi as Guardiola’s star player during his time in Barcelona, the current Paris Saint-Germain player has said that Guardiola was the best manager he has ever played for and joked that his achievements have made the sport of football worse off as other managers have attempted to imitate his style of play with little success.

“Guardiola did football a lot of harm,” Messi claimed in an interview with Movistar Plus.

“It seemed so easy and so simple that everyone wanted to copy it afterwards. Later I met a lot of Guardiolas out there and you realize what we did and what that was.

“Probably the best coach I’ve ever had, Guardiola has something special to prepare for matches and to communicate them.”

The Argentine left the club in 2021 due to the financial difficulties they were facing.

Manager Xavi has also made it no secret that he can envision a homecoming for Messi, and the president of the club, Joan Laporta, has said that Barcelona would happily welcome the player back.

Before Messi can make a decision on his club’s future, his sole focus will be on the upcoming World Cup. The 35-year-old has said it will be his last chance to lift the coveted trophy.

Messi only recently got his first taste of international success after lifting the 2021 Copa America, beating Brazil 1-0 in the final.

Argentina will head to Qatar ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where they will take on Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland.