"He changed football" - Lionel Messi explains why Pep Guardiola 'did harm' to the sport during his stint at Barcelona
While praising Pep Guardiola recently, Lionel Messi joked that the Spanish manager had harmed football. In 2022, the Argentine superstar hilariously claimed that Guardiola had ruined the sport with his style of football.
During a recent discussion, Messi spoke highly about Guardiola, but added that the latter’s football philosophy had done more harm than good to football.
Speaking to player-turned-journalist Quique Wolff on YouTube channel 'Simplemente Fútbol,' Messi said Guardiola’s style of play had damaged the sport because other teams tried to imitate their style. Lionel Messi said (via All About Argentina's X handle):
"Pep Guardiola is from another world. He’s different, he sees things no one else does. He changed football. Everyone wanted to copy us. In fact, he kind of did harm to football, because people tried to play like our Barcelona. But we were a special team… that midfield Xavi, Busi, Iniesta, everything was perfect between players and coach."
Watch here (24:19)
Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola are renowned for their time together at Barcelona. While the Argentine icon had already broken into Barcelona’s first team before Guardiola took over the managerial reins in 2008, it was under the Spanish manager that Messi blossomed into a world-beater.
A Barcelona side under Guardiola was remembered for their dominance in world football. The Spaniard birthed the famous Barcelona golden era between 2008 and 2012. During this period, La Blaugrana were renowned for their possession-based football and quick passing, which is often summarized under the term 'tiki-taka.'
During Pep Guardiola's stint at Barça, he won every available title, including LaLiga and the Champions League.
When Lionel Messi hailed Pep Guardiola as the 'best coach in the world'
Lionel Messi had once described Pep Guardiola as the best manager in the world. This came after the Spaniard helped Manchester City win their first Champions League title in 2023. In Guardiola’s early years at City, European glory proved hard to come by for him, prompting many to suggest that Messi was the main reason he was successful at Barcelona.
In 2023, City defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final in Istanbul to win their first European crown. A few days later, Messi said in an interview that Guardiola’s success with City in Europe showed he was the best coach in the world. Messi told Chinese outlet TTPlus (via GOAL):
"I'm still in contact with [Guardiola]. Winning the Champions League this time shows that he is the best coach in the world, he deserved to win the Champions League."
Messi remains the player with the most goals scored under Guardiola — 211.