The Argentine international has revealed his undying respect for the outgoing La Blaugrana boss and has insisted that he will always cherish him as a mentor.
Barcelona’s http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296 has paid tribute to his side’s soon-to-be former head coach, Pep Guardiola, emphasizing that he will always cherish the influence the Catalan tactician had on him.
As Guardiola is set to depart from the Nou Camp at the end of the current season’s campaign, a number of players and officials from the Spanish giants have taken out time to pay tribute to their mentor.
It is about time that Messi expressed his gratitude towards the Spaniard as well. The Argentine appeared full of praise for the man who is among Barca’s most successful managers in history.
The Blaugrana number 10 stated that Pep will always have his respect and that his time at the Catalan capital will always be cherished by the Ballon d’Or winner.
The player went on to insist that he would not be where he is if it wasn’t for the Spanish mentor.
The 41-year-old took over the reins at the Camp Nou outfit at the beginning of the 2009-2010 season. As soon as he became the club’s manager, he was quick to make an impact as his first season with the Catalan giants was the most successful one in the club’s
history.
The tactician also developed an excellent relationship with his players and will surely be remembered by the team for this.
His relationship with Messi was exceptional and the two men always carried great respect for one another.
While talking to reporters, the Argentine national captain quoted:
"Pep will always have my respect. I will always cherish him. He has been massively important in my career. I am grateful to all of whom I've made happy with my goals. It has been a great pleasure to share so many moments with Pep over these last few years."
Messi scored 4 goals in Guardiola’s last game at home against Espanyol and the two men shared a light moment as the match reached its conclusion.
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