Pep Guardiola, former coach of Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona, reportedly wished to see Messi play for a country other than Argentina.
The Spanish coach admitted he had hoped to see the Argentine star play for Spain during the 2010s. At that time, the Spanish national team was at its peak, having won two European Championships (2008 and 2012) and the 2010 World Cup.
Lionel Messi, who also holds Spanish nationality, had decided from a young age to play for his home country, Argentina.
However, during that period, the Argentine national team struggled to win trophies, leading Guardiola to believe Messi should have chosen Spain instead.
“When I was coaching Barcelona and watching Messi play, I wished he was Spanish. Spain was the best team in the world at that time. Messi would have won many titles and records with La Roja,” said Pep Guardiola. The Manchester City coach acknowledged that the Argentine national team has improved in recent years, helping Messi win trophies.
“It’s true that Argentina has become the strongest team in the world over the last 4 or 5 years.
But Messi started his career in 2004 when Argentina wasn’t at its best, but in the end, football did him justice. He deserved it,” acknowledged the Spanish coach.
While understandable from Guardiola’s perspective, Argentine fans, who still enjoy Messi’s performances, might not appreciate his comments.
Leave a Reply