Former Barcelona star Lionel Messi has revealed his delight at Pep Guardiola leading Manchester City to Champions League glory.
City sealed the Treble with a narrow 1-0 win over Inter Milan in last week’s final in Istanbul, ending their wait for European success and moving themselves alongside Manchester United’s 1998/99 side in English football’s history books.
It was the third time Guardiola had lifted the Champions League trophy, though the first since his all conquering Barcelona side did so twice in the space of three seasons more than a decade ago.
Messi has at various points been linked with a switch to City to join up once again with Guardiola, though that has been put to bed this summer after the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s move to Inter Miami was confirmed.
Responding to City’s victory over Inter, Messi revealed he regularly speaks to his former manager and labelled Guardiola the “best coach in the world”, though insisted that was a tag he deserved regardless of the result in Istanbul.
“I talk a lot with Guardiola and kept in frequent contact,” Messi told Titan Sports.
“I’m very happy with what he’s achieved, 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.”