"I may disrespect Pele or Maradona, but Messi is the best of all time"

The international break allows many football stars to give interviews and leave more than one headline. This time it was the turn of Pep Guardiola, who travelled to Italy and left some outstanding phrases in his chat with the ‘Nove’ programme ‘Che Tempo Che Fa’.

"Why don't I go on television? Because I speak six times a week at press conferences, I know that maybe not much is said there, but this is also a criticism. I'm fine, sometimes I'm a bit tired in my job, we all are. But I like football very much", he said.

He was also praised for Leo Messi: "You have to know him. It's easy for me to say he's the best player of all time, but the stars came together at that moment. The strongest? Maybe it's a lack of respect for Pele and Maradona, but for me it is".

And he added: "I've never seen someone like that coaching, you can't imagine him maintaining this continuity for 15-20 years. When you see him up close, you think of Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan: we were lucky enough to be their contemporaries. These characters are Sorrentino's Great Beauty: it's a great title for that team".

Guardiola also remembered Cruyff: "I can't imagine what my life and career would have been like without Cruyff. He taught me a lot on a tactical level, but above all he created me from a human point of view. He was a genius, unique. He made me fall in love with football".

And of the trebles with Barca: "I won two? Well, I'm very well. I was lucky at Barcelona, the team of my heart. But I've been in 3 great teams in my career".

Pep is also very clear about who he doesn't want to meet 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 meet them".

 

October 13, 2024