“It’s never easy to play against them” – Pep Guardiola doesn’t want to face Barcelona in Champions League

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that he wants to avoid facing Barcelona in the Champions League. The Spaniard coached the Catalan club from 2008 to 2012 and took the club to 14 trophies during his stint.

Guardiola took Barca to new heights during his tenure and has a lot of emotions with the club. 

Guardiola said on the Italian show Che Tempo Che Fa when asked which club he wants to dodge in the Champions League, “Good question. Barcelona maybe. The affection I have for them destroys me. I was born in a small town nearby, it’s never easy to play against them.”

Speaking on understanding the new Champions League format, “I don’t understand, I just coach. I think we’ll be able to answer this question only at the end of the season.”

On the other hand, Guardiola played a key role in Lionel Messi’s success at Barcelona. The successful coach picked the Argentine as the best footballer of this era.

“You have to know him. For me it’s easy to say that he is the best player of all time, but the stars came together at that moment. Maybe it’s a lack of respect for Pele and Maradona, but for me he is [the best of all time]. I’ve never seen someone like him in training, you couldn’t imagine that he could maintain this continuity for 15-20 years.”

“When you see him up close, you think of Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan – we were lucky to be contemporaries of these characters. I think of Sorrentino’s ‘The Great Beauty’… it’s a great title for that team,” he added.

Messi scored 211 goals in 219 matches for Barcelona and further assisted 94 goals while playing under Guardiola’s tutelage.