Lionel Messi Reveals His Problem With Pep Guardiola’s Training Style

Argentine football icon, Lionel Messi has admitted that he wasn’t a big fan of the training style of coach Pep Guardiola during his time at FC Barcelona.

Most football enthusiasts believe that coach Pep Guardiola gave Lionel Messi the confidence he needed to conquer the world even though he wasn’t the one that gave the Argentine his debut game.

Recall that Dutch tactician, Frank Rijkaard was the first coach that gave Messi first opportunity to play for FC Barcelona’s senior team. The Dutchman gave the Argentine his debut game against FC Porto in a friendly match played on November 16, 2003.

Lionel Messi and Guardiola started working together in 2008. They both helped each other to win three La Liga, two Copa del Ray, three Supercopa de España, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups, and two Champions League.

Even though it looked like they were having the best of time together, Messi told JP Varsky on Clank Media that Guardiola’s training style wasn’t fair enough on kids.

“The Guardiola era was a bit confusing. … Many times, six and seven-year-old kids are already starting to be told that they have to play with two touches, to play fast, that they can’t have much of the ball”, the Inter Miami star said.

“I think that at that age it has to be a bit like what happened to me: to teach them to better understand the game, to know how to move, to find spaces, to play quickly, but not to take away the spontaneity of each one.”

Note that Lionel Messi is currently helping Argentina to battle for the 2024 Copa America in the United States. His country beat Canada 2-0 in their opening group-stage game on June 21.