Lionel Messi hails 'special' Pep Guardiola amid Man City transfer rumours
By Max Cooper
Lionel Messi has named 'special' Pep Guardiola as one of the two best coaches he has ever worked under, sparking rumours that he would like to collaborate with the Manchester City coach again next season.
The duo wrote their names into the history books together at Barcelona, winning the Spanish title three years on the trot, and lifting the Champions League twice in a four-year period. It was also a particularly fruitful time for Messi on a personal level, who was awarded the Ballon d'Or on three occasions while serving under Guardiola.
And during an interview with LaSexta, the Argentine admitted that the current Man City coach 'has something special,' and believes he was 'lucky' to have been given the chance to learn under his stewardship for four years.
"Pep has something special," Messi explained.
"He makes you see things in one way: how he prepares for matches, defensively, how to attack...he told you exactly how the match was going to be, how you had to attack to win.
"I was lucky to train under Guardiola and Luis Enrique, the two best. Having them made me grow a lot physically and mentally, and also the tactical wisdom they've taught me."
The 33-year-old's Barcelona future is in serious doubt, after he tried to engineer a move away from Camp Nou in the summer, but the club blocked his attempts to void his contract. Messi subsequently confirmed that he still intended to move on at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, when his deal finally expires.
Messi will be able to negotiate a summer move to another club in January, and although signing the world's greatest player is a dream for many teams, only two are in serious contention for his signature.
Paris Saint-Germain and Man City are leading the charge to land the superstar next summer, and the Citizens will be confident that Guardiola's presence in the Etihad dugout could persuade Messi to join the Premier League giants.
However, the forward's departure is not confirmed, with the club hoping to convince him to stay with a change in president, and he has since admitted that he is now 'fine' and is ready to fight for the Barça badge over the coming months.
"I'm fine today. It's true that I had a very bad time in the summer.
"It came from before. What happened before the summer, the way the season ended, the burofax and all that.
"Then I dragged it with me a bit at the beginning of the season, but I'm fine today. I feel like seriously fighting for everything that's ahead of us.
"I feel excited. I know that the club is going through a difficult time, at club and team level, and everything around Barcelona is difficult, but I am looking forward to it."