Pep Guardiola has admitted that the only player in
the world who does not have to listen to instructions is his former Barcelona charge Lionel Messi.
The 44-year-old is under intense scrutiny to deliver Champions League success with Bayern Munich this season after failing to do so in each of his first two campaigns, and he has laid out his blueprint for 2015-16, in which “everyone will run as I want”.
“This season, everyone will run as I want,” he told Bild.
“I will tell them what to do and they must listen. The only player in the world who doesn’t have to [listen] is Messi.”
Messi has be accused before of not showing his coaches enough respect and reportedly fell out with Guardiola before the Spanaird left the Camp Nou.
According to former Swedish manager Hans Backe, the diminutive Argentine is not quite as submissive or ego-free as people may have thought.
Madrid-based sports newspaper Marca says the former New York Red Bulls coach appeared on Swedish channel TV4 recently, and relayed an anecdote from Barcelona's treble-winning 2008/09 season.
While manager Guardiola was giving a dressing room speech, Backe asserts that Messi interrupted him to ask for a Coke. Pep denied the request, saying his players may not have that kind of drink before a game. Clearly in the mood for some delicious brown sugar water, Messi stood up, grabbed a Coke and drank it in front of all the players.
"It was a battle that Guardiola could not win," said Backe.
“These stars are not God’s best children.
“It was three hours before the match, all the players sit and eat when Messi says he wants a Coke. ’No, no, we do not drink cola three hours before a flight,’ said Guardiola. So Messi got up from his chair and comes back a few minutes later with a can of cola, which he opens and drinks right in front of Guardiola. Imagine what happens when a great profile as Messi goes against the coach in this way. It is a war that Guardiola can not win. It is impossible.”
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