Argentina star Lionel Messi has described Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as the "best coach in the world" after guiding the club to its first-ever Champions League crown last weekend.
City, who will discover their fixtures for the 2023/24 Premier League campaign when they are released at 9am on Thursday morning, defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul to become champions of Europe for the very first time. Victory in Turkey saw the club complete an incredible Treble after already laying their hands on the Premier League title and the FA Cup.
It means the Blues have now won every competition they have competed in since Guardiola took charge in 2016, meaning he will be hoping to now add the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup to their collection next season. On a personal note, City's triumph over Inter marked Guardiola's third Champions League crown in his managerial career after previously winning it at Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.
Guardiola is widely considered one of the greatest coaches of all time. And for Messi, who worked with him at Barcelona, the Catalan is the best in the business at this moment in time.
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"I talk a lot with Guardiola and [have] kept in frequent contact," Messi told Titan Sports. "I'm very happy with what he's achieved, [winning] the last Champions League.
"He's the best coach in the world although, for me, he didn't have to win this Champions League to prove it, but [it is] an achievement he deserves."
Messi, who scored a whopping 211 goals in 219 games under Guardiola at Barcelona, is poised to complete a move to Inter Miami this summer after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. It could turn out to be the final move of the soon-to-be 36-year-old's career, so much so that he has played down the possibility of helping Argentina defend their World Cup crown in the US in 2026.
Messi, addressing the possibility of playing at the next World Cup, continued: "I think not. [2022] was my last World Cup. I will see how things go, but in principle no, I will not go to the next World Cup."
The Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League is the ultimate footballing achievement and you can get your hands on the only official souvenir publication of Manchester City's history-making 2022-23 season, packed with amazing pictures, match reports and reaction. Get your copy here.
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