"He deserved to win the Champions League" - Lionel Messi hails Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as 'the best coach in the world'
Argentine veteran Lionel Messi lauded his former Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola, labeling him the "best coach in the world."
This comes in the wake of Guardiola's historic treble-winning campaign with the Cityzens, which saw them lift the Premier League, FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.
It comes as another major milestone for the Spanish tactician, having previously won a treble during his time with La Liga giants Barcelona in 2009. It further strengthens his bragging rights as one of the greatest coaches of all time.
The Spaniard had major success with teams such as Barca, Bayern Munich, and now presently Manchester City. He won at least three league titles with all of them.
Messi, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona, seems to buy into the same school of thought as well. He acknowledged the Spaniard's brilliance while congratulating him on his Champions League success with City.
During an interview on Albiceleste Talk, when asked if he is still in contact with Guardiola, Messi said:
"Yes, and he deserved to win the Champions League. He is the best coach in the world.”
Messi played 219 games under Guardiola at Barcelona, contributing a staggering 211 goals and 94 assists.
The 52-year-old tactician, meanwhile, has won 34 trophies in his managerial career, while in charge of the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.
Guardiola won a total of 16 titles during his time in Spain with Barca. He then had a three-year stint in Germany where he won a total of seven trophies at Bayern Munich.
Now at Manchester City, the Spanish tactician has won 13 trophies, with his most recent being the club's first-ever Champions League title.
A second-half strike from Rodri was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for Guardiola's Manchester City against Inter Milan in the final on June 10. The Champions League triumph happens to be Guardiola's third, in his managerial career, having won it twice at Barca.
"It was written in the stars" - Pep Guardiola's reaction after winning Champions League with Manchester City
The Spanish tactician finally had the opportunity to lift the Champions League with City, after several attempts since leaving Barcelona in 2012.
The closest he had come to winning the tournament with another club aside from Barca was in 2021. However, City suffered a painful 1-0 defeat suffered at the hands of Premier League side Chelsea in the final.
The wait eventually came to an end for Manchester City this season, who hadn't previously won the prestigious Champions League crown.
Speaking to BT Sport after the 1-0 win against Inter Milan, Guardiola revealed that it was written in the stars for his side to emerge champions of the 2022-23 edition. He said:
"It’s so difficult to win it. This competition is a coin. It was written in the stars. It belongs to us. We weren’t at our best level. After the World Cup the team made a step forward and we were there. It wasn’t our best performance."
Pep Guardiola became the first manager of an English side to win the treble since Sir Alex Ferguson won it with Manchester United in 1999.