Pep Guardiola considered coaching Lionel Messi to be the luckiest thing he has ever had in his coaching career.
Guardiola appeared on the coaching scene when he took over Barcelona in 2008, succeeding Frank Rijkaard, with a historic generation led by Lionel Messi.
Pep quickly became one of the best coaches in the world, and Messi helped him a lot, and there was a great understanding between the duo who dominated Spanish and European football at the time.
When the current Manchester City coach was asked about that period, he said, “There is one thing I was lucky to have in my career, which is to have Lionel Messi in my team.”
He added, “He was with me for 3 years, and this period I can only say about it that it was very special.”
Messi played 219 matches in all competitions under Guardiola, during which he scored 211 goals and made 94 others, which is the most number of contributions he has made under any coach in his career.
Guardiola achieved the historic sextuple with Barcelona in 2009, and the Champions League twice, and he only lost La Liga in his last season with Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho.
