At Barcelona, Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola, both football icons, were about to reunite again in 2020, as revealed in the book “Deus Salve Pep”, an unpublished biography written by Martí Perarnau about the renowned Spanish coach.
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During a crisis that almost resulted in Messi leaving Barcelona, the Argentine star, unhappy with the board, especially president Josep Maria Bartomeu, sought out Guardiola. Amid these circumstances, Messi expressed his desire to move to Manchester City, seeking to renew the successful partnership they had in Spain between 2008 and 2012.
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The dialogue between Messi and Guardiola, detailed in the book, reveals Messi’s determination to move to England and continue his journey under the command of the Catalan coach. However, destiny took another turn, and Messi ended up leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain, where he played for two seasons before moving to Inter Miami. Meanwhile, Guardiola remained at Manchester City, signaling his intention to extend his stay at the English club.
See the dialogue reported in the book:
Guardiola: In Manchester we trained very hard…
Messi: I’m going to train a lot, I’m not worried.
Guardiola: I continue to have long tactical conversations. Maybe this irritates you…
Messi: I can handle it. I will put up with everything you do.
Guardiola: Leo, we have grown. Maybe we can’t stand each other anymore.
Messi: Pep, I just want to end this.
