October 14th 2024.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, recently shared his deep affection for his former team, Barcelona, and admitted that he hopes to avoid facing them in the Champions League this season. City, who were eliminated by Real Madrid last season, have had a strong start to the new campaign with a draw against Inter and a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava earlier this month. They are set to face Sparta Prague, Sporting CP, Feyenoord, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, and Club Bruges in their remaining European fixtures.
On the other hand, Barcelona suffered a defeat in their Champions League opener against Monaco but bounced back with a 5-0 victory against Young Boys. Guardiola, who was born in a nearby town, shared that it is never easy for him to play against his former club due to his deep emotional connection with them.
During his recent appearance on the Italian chat show Che Tempo Che Fa, Guardiola was asked about the team he would like to avoid in the Champions League this season. In response, he said, "Good question. Maybe Barcelona. The affection I have for them destroys me. I was born in a small town nearby, and it's never easy to play against them."
When asked about his thoughts on the new Champions League format, Guardiola humbly replied, "I don't understand, I just coach. I think we'll be able to answer this question only at the end of the season." He also praised Lionel Messi and shared his experience of working with the Argentine during their time together at Barcelona. "You have to know him," he said. "For me, it's easy to say that he is the best player of all time, but the stars came together at that moment. Maybe it's a lack of respect for Pele and Maradona, but for me, he is the best of all time."
Guardiola also compared Messi's talent to other legendary athletes such as Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, saying, "I've never seen someone like him in training. You couldn't imagine that he could maintain this continuity for 15-20 years. When you see him up close, you think of Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan - we were lucky to be contemporaries of these characters."
In conclusion, Guardiola expressed his admiration for Barcelona, calling them "The Great Beauty" and referencing a popular Italian film. It is clear that his love for his former club runs deep, and he hopes to avoid facing them in the Champions League this season. As for the new format of the competition, Guardiola believes it is too early to make any judgments and will wait until the end of the season to give his opinion.
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