A report from the Spanish newspaper "Marca" revealed that Pep Guardiola received advice from Alejandro Sabella, the former coach of the Argentine national team, regarding Barcelona star Lionel Messi. The discussion about this advice came after the first clash between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Mauricio Pochettino and player Lionel Messi, who was substituted in the match against Olympique Lyon in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Messi appeared shocked when Pochettino called him off the pitch in the 75th minute, replacing him with Achraf Hakimi, while the score was tied 1-1. Pochettino attempted to speak with the Argentine legend as he left, but Messi refused even to shake his coach's hand.
Pochettino justified the "unusual" substitution, stating after the match, "Coaches are here to make decisions." The Argentine coach elaborated: "Everyone knows we have great players. We have a very rich roster of 35 players. So, we have to make choices." He continued, "We have to make decisions during the match. Sometimes these decisions work, sometimes they don't. But that's why we are here on the bench, thinking about what we should do." Pochettino added, "You have to make these decisions whether things are good or not, whether you like them or not."
According to "Marca," Sabella had advised Guardiola when they were coaching Messi together for the Argentine national team and Barcelona in 2012. The Spanish newspaper reported that Sabella recommended how to get the best performance out of Messi, and Guardiola effectively managed his star on the field.
Sabella's advice to Guardiola was: "You need to talk a little to Messi, protect him in the team, and listen carefully to what he says and does." He concluded his advice by saying: "Never forget that you should not take him off the pitch, not even at the end of the match, just to get applause from the fans."
It is worth noting that Messi has not yet scored for his new team, which he joined after spending 17 years with FC Barcelona.
