(Reuters) – Lionel Messi considers himself “lucky” to work under Pep Guardiola in Barcelona between 2008-12 and says the Spaniard is bringing “something special” to coaching, ideas that are likely to fuel make the pair could re-enter Manchester City.
Messi was a key part of Barca’s side at Guardiola that won 14 major titles and has been linked with a move to City since the manager signed a new contract that will keep him at the Premier League club until the end of the 2022-23 season.
The Argentine is in the final months of his current contract in Spain after an unsuccessful attempt to leave Barca in the close season.
“Pep has something special,” Messi told Spanish television channel La Sexta.
“It makes you see things in one way: how he prepares for matches, defensively, how to attack … he told you just how the game was going to be, how you had to attack to win.
“I was lucky … to train under Guardiola and Luis Enrique, the two best. They made me grow a lot physically and mentally, and also the ingenious wisdom they have taught me. “
Guardiola said last month that he is unsure of Messi’s future but hopes, as a Barcelona fan, that he will stay at the La Liga club until the end of his career. life.
Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Edited by Peter Rutherford