Barcelona hail Pep Guardiola with classy message after he wins Champions League with Manchester City
Barcelona have lauded Pep Guardiola with a brilliant tweet after their former manager led Manchester City to Champions League glory.
City won Europe's elite club competition with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan at the Ataturk Stadium on Saturday (June 10). Rodri's 68th-minute strike proved decisive as Guardiola ended his long wait for the European title with the Premier League giants.
Guardiola not only got his hands on the Champions League trophy once again, but he also sealed City's name in the history books. They're the second club in English football to win a continental treble.
The Spanish coach also won a treble during his time at Barcelona and is still held in high regard by the Blaugrana. They have sent a superb tribute to the legendary coach following his European triumph, tweeting:
"Once a champion, always a champion."
Once a champion, always a champion. https://t.co/ZCI6RNnGk6
The City boss has now won the Champions League, five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and four League Cups at the Etihad. He is, for many, the greatest manager in football history.
He started his managerial career at Barcelona and was a massive success at Camp Nou. The Spaniard won two Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, and two Copa del Reys with the Blaugrana.
The Spanish coach has also managed at Bayern Munich, where he won three Bundesliga titles and two DFB Pokal trophies. He has now won two trebles during his illustrious career, becoming the only manager to do so.
Guardiola comments on potential Barcelona return
Guardiola left Barcelona in 2012 when he decided to take a sabbatical from the game. The Spaniard is adored by the Blaugrana following his incredible Camp Nou career.
However, a potential reunion with the Blaugrana is presently unlikely due to the success he's achieving at Manchester City. He also recently signed a new two-year contract with the treble-winners last November, keeping him tied to the Etihad until 2025.
Guardiola spoke about a potential return to Barca last November. He said that it would need to come naturally (via Eurosport):
"It's a bad way to see it that I have to go back, because Pep left, and Barca kept winning. You shouldn't think like that. If I thought I was indispensable, I would return, but that's not the case."
The Spaniard added:
"There are stages; there are processes, and if one day I have to meet again, we will meet again in a natural way."
The Cityzens manager will have plenty of suitors knocking at his door if he does decide to leave the Premier League giants in 2025. He may be enticed to take his exciting brand of football to a league he's yet to coach in.
Barca are impressing under current manager Xavi and won the La Liga title for the first time since 2019. Guardiola's former midfielder has a contract till 2024.