Key Points
- Messi again calls Guardiola the best coach he has ever known. He praises his ideas, game view and control.
- The star says Pep prepares big games in special detail. He also leads training in ways that lift each player.
- Messi notes Guardiola keeps winning in every league he joins. He says the real magic is how those teams play.
Lionel Messi (Lionel Andrés Messi) has again praised Pep Guardiola (Josep Guardiola). He says his former Barcelona coach is simply the best ever.
The Argentina captain shared the claim in a fresh interview. He explained how Guardiola shaped his peak years at Barcelona. The praise also links to our Barcelona plans Messi statue story.
Messi and Guardiola worked together during a glittering spell at Camp Nou. The pair won La Liga titles, domestic cups and two Champions League crowns. Many fans still see that side as the model for modern attacking football.
Why Messi says Guardiola stands apart
In the new chat, Messi said Guardiola sees matches before they happen. He paints a picture of a coach who reads games like a map. The forward believes Pep’s plans often make players feel one step ahead.
Messi described his old boss as a complete leader on the bench. He praised the way Guardiola drills simple passing moves until they feel natural. That approach helped Barca keep the ball and tire rivals during his time.
The star highlighted Pep’s detailed work on big game nights. He said the coach often broke down huge ties into small clear tasks. According to Messi, that calm plan helped the team trust their roles.
For the forward, this mix of vision and detail sets Guardiola apart. He called him “unique” and said no other coach works in quite the same way. Messi also stressed that the praise is about ideas, not only trophies.
Guardiola’s record at Bayern and Manchester City
Messi pointed out that Guardiola kept winning after leaving Spain. At Bayern Munich, Pep dominated the German league and lifted several domestic cups. His teams pressed high, held the ball and attacked in waves.
The Argentina captain believes Pep changed how other clubs in Germany tried to play. Rivals copied Bayern’s pressing lines and quicker passing tempo. That shift, he feels, shows the deeper mark of Guardiola’s time there.
Messi then turned to Guardiola’s work at Manchester City. Under his watch, City have ruled long stretches of the Premier League. They have set points records, scored heavily and built title winning runs.
For Messi, the key point is still style rather than silverware. He admires how City create angles, overload space and move the ball with ease. To him, that fluent rhythm proves Pep’s ideas keep evolving.
The forward summed up his view in simple terms. In his eyes, “Pep is unique.” He also said, “He is the best ever.” Those short lines underline just how highly he rates his former coach.
Respect between star and coach remains strong
Messi’s latest praise also reflects the bond he still shares with Guardiola. Their years together shaped both of their careers at the highest level. Many fans feel each brought out the other’s best qualities.
The forward has often said Guardiola helped him read games in new ways. He learned when to stay wide, when to drift inside and when to drop deep. Those tweaks turned him into the centre of Barca’s famed attack.
Messi’s words arrive as he enters the closing stretch of his own career. Looking back, he seems eager to credit the mentors who guided him. Guardiola sits at the top of that list.
Across social media, fans quickly shared clips from the interview. Many agreed that Pep’s teams have changed how the sport looks today. Others argued that results alone decide the GOAT tag for coaches.
In other entertainment news, reality star Kim Kardashian has linked her law studies to fears for her Black children, a story explored in our Kim Kardashian law study story. That piece tracks how she hopes legal work can shape fairer rules.
For now, Messi’s fresh remarks add more fuel to a long debate. Fans will keep arguing over the greatest coach of all time. But for the man many see as football’s leading player, the answer is already clear.
