Lionel Messi Explains How Pep Guardiola ‘Ruined Football’ With His Philosophies As Barcelona Manager

Lionel Messi Explains How Pep Guardiola ‘Ruined Football’ With His Philosophies As Barcelona Manager

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:16 PM
In this article:
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  • Lionel Messi described Pep Guardiola as being the best manager he's ever played under
  • Guardiola and Messi won three La Liga titles and two Champions League titles together
  • Messi believes that many people tried to copy Guardiola's tactics over the years but failed

Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola make one formidable team. The player and the coach spent four successful seasons together at Barcelona, in what was a golden period for the team.

Lionel Messi, Explains, Pep Guardiola, Ruined Football, Philosophies, Barcelona, Manager, Sport, World, Soccer
Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola achieved much success at Barcelona but the player believes that the manager ruined football a bit. Image: Lluis Gene/Javier Soriano
Source: Getty Images

Barcelona won three La Liga titles and two Champions League titles during those years. Despite the success they had together, Messi believes that Guardiola actually harmed football with his philosophy, Four Four Two reported.

"He is special in the way he sees things, prepares for matches and communicates. Guardiola did a lot of harm to football too because it seemed too easy, so simple that everyone wanted to copy it," Messi said.

He added that those who tried to copy Guardiola's tactics couldn't replicate them and ended up paying the price of trying. Messi then clarified that Guardiola was the best coach that he's ever had and that everything he planned, worked out as planned. While Messi may return to Barcelona, there's no chance Guardiola will. The Spanish club are desperate to sign the Argentinian maestro from Paris Saint-Germain, but PSG are hoping to hold onto the superstar. Guardiola on the other hand has yet to decide what he will be doing after his contract expires at Manchester City. Barca Universal reported that while Pep has a lot of respect for the club and president, Joan Laporta, he won't return to coach the Blaugrana.

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Authors
Byron Pillay photo
Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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