Spanish manager Pep Guardiola, coach of English club Manchester City, stated on Saturday that Argentine star Lionel Messi, captain of Spanish club Barcelona, "is the strongest," noting that what influences him "beyond his technical abilities" is his "mentality." Guardiola said in statements to the live streaming platform (Twitch), "He is an incredibly strong player, the strongest. Beyond his technical skills, his mentality is strong, his thinking. Over four years at Barcelona, we had many training matches, and he never lost one. He possesses this competitive mentality, and there are only 4 or 5 players in history who have something different."
The Premier League champion this season with City recalled his time with the Catalan team. He said, "My players (at Barcelona) were like competitive animals, I learned a lot from them. They wanted to win every three days, and they wanted to be the best even compared to their own teammates. I was fortunate to coach the best player in history (referring to Messi), along with 7 or 8 players from the La Masia academy at the right ages of 24, 25, and 26."
He continued, "Moreover, we had very strong foreign players like (Cameroonian Samuel) Eto'o. Everyone was present at the perfect moment, and the stars allowed our project to continue for four years. It was an exceptional era, and we played finals as if they were friendly matches."
Guardiola acknowledged that winning the Premier League title this season has a special taste, especially given the difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
