"Messi was the best player" - Pep Guardiola makes bold claim on winning treble at Barcelona with Lionel Messi
Pep Guardiola has stated that Lionel Messi was the best player during his time as a manager in Barcelona. The Manchester City manager further claimed that he wouldn’t have been able to win the treble at the Catalan club without Messi.
The Spaniard was Barcelona’s manager from 2008 to 2012. In his four-year stay, he transformed the club into an absolute powerhouse, both domestically and in Europe. His Barca side is widely regarded as one of the greatest football teams in football history and was also renowned for having a young and lethal Lionel Messi.
In the 2008-09 campaign, Guardiola won the treble of LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League for Barca in his debut season at the club as a manager.
Reflecting on his record-breaking season at the Catalan club, the current Manchester City boss stated the feat would have been unattainable without Lionel Messi in his team. He said (via Fabrizio Romano):
"We’re without Rodri, we miss him... the best player in the world. Imagine our period in Barcelona, Messi was the best player, playing that season without Messi? Do you think we would win the treble? I don’t think so."
After a record-breaking first season in charge, Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona attained new heights in 2009, becoming the first team to win six trophies in a calendar year.
Lionel Messi was told to ‘shut up’ by Pep Guardiola during an altercation with former Barcelona teammate
In October, Mexican defender Rafael Marquez recalled an altercation he had with Lionel Messi while they both were at Barcelona. Marquez said he and Messi got into a blazing row in a practice game, and manager Pep Guardiola stepped in to shush the latter. Marquez plied his trade for Barcelona between 2003 and 2010.
Marquez and Messi had a squabble in a five-a-side training session, with the Mexican defender reportedly angry at the Argentine icon for holding the ball for too long rather than shooting. After tension between the duo flared up, Guardiola took sides with Marquez and scolded Messi.
Marquez said, as quoted by Mirror:
"Yes, in a five-a-side game [we clashed]. 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. Until I got p***ed 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.'"
Messi currently plies his trade at Inter Miami while Marquez is the assistant coach of the Mexico national team.