"I got pissed off" - Former Barcelona defender recalls when Pep Guardiola told Lionel Messi to 'shut up'
Former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez recently recalled an incident with Lionel Messi at the club which led to Pep Guardiola asking the Argentine legend to keep quiet. Marquez and Messi shared the pitch in 125 games for Barca between 2004 and 2010.
Former Mexico international Marquez represented Barcelona from 2003 to 2010, recording 13 goals and 13 assists in 242 appearances across competitions. He won two Champions Leagues and four LaLiga titles with the club, among other honors. Following his retirement in 2018, Marquez coached Barca Atletic between 2022 and 2024. He currently serves as the assistant coach of the Mexico national team.
Both Marquez and Messi were coached by Pep Guardiola from 2008 to 2010. In a recent interview (as quoted by The Mirror), Marquez recalled how he clashed with Lionel Messi once during training. He said:
"Yes [he clashed with Messi], in a five-a-side game. He was on my team and of course, Messi had the ball. He had the goal to shoot and he didn't shoot. We were losing and we said to him: 'Messi, shoot, Messi, score a goal'. Nothing."
Marquez continued:
"Until I got pissed off and told him: 'Messi, let go of the ball, bro.' So he approached and answered me. Pep arrived and said: 'Messi, shut up. You have to respect Rafa's hierarchy.'"
Lionel Messi went on to perform exceptionally well under Guardiola, winning two Champions Leagues and three LaLiga titles, among other honors. The Catalan tactician's decision to play the Argentine legend as a false nine is often considered one of the best tactical decisions in football.
During Marquez's time at the club, Lionel Messi was still in the early phase of his career. The Argentine legend unarguably went on to become Barcelona's greatest legend, winning a club-record 34 titles with his boyhood side. In 778 appearances for La Blaugrana, he recorded 672 goals and 303 assists.
"Messi and I were not big friends" - Former Barcelona defender Rafa Marquez on his relationship with Lionel Messi
In his aforementioned interview via The Mirror, Rafael Marquez spoke about his relationship with Lionel Messi at the club. The Mexican said:
"I saw Messi's debut when he was young. We had heard that there was a boy at La Masia who was very different from the rest, who made a difference and was a real phenomenon."
He added:
"And the truth is, from his arrival, that was truly visible. We expected him to be a great player, but of course, we had to help him because he was very young. In training, I gave him a lot of orders and he listened. Messi and I were not big friends, we were colleagues."
Lionel Messi made his debut for Barcelona in October 2004 in the club's 1-0 win over city rivals Espanyol in La Liga. The Argentine superstar was subbed on for Deco in the 82nd minute. In May 2005, Messi scored his first official goal for the club against Albacete in La Liga, assisted by club legend Ronaldinho.
The Inter Miami star left Barcelona as a free agent in 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after the Catalan side failed to renew his contract owing to economic regulations. After two seasons in Paris, Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023.