EXCLUSIVE: Inside Lionel Messi’s secret conversations and private messages with Pep Guardiola to join Man City – it started with a five-word message… plus why Pep turned down Cristiano Ronaldo
That was all the message said, but Pep Guardiola knew that Lionel Messi wanted to join Manchester City in August 2020. Because he was close to the player, Sergio Aguero had already sent out a warning, but Guardiola was still too down after City’s disappointing loss to Lyon in the Champions League during the pandemic.
But those five words woke him up, and the next day Guardiola met Messi at his home in Barcelona so that both men could get to know each other. After six hours, the player was sure he wanted to move, and the boss was set on keeping him at the Etihad for another year.
Unfortunately, the deal did not go through because Messi chose not to get into a fight with his old team. What Marti Perarnau’s book The Pep Revolution does, though, is show how carefully everything was planned for it.
Guardiola and assistant coach Juanma Lillo went back to Manchester after meeting with Messi at his home. On the way, they planned how the celebrity would fit into the City team while on the plane. He would basically stay in the middle circle when City didn’t have the ball to push opponents wide. When City did have the ball, he would bring everyone up to the box with him.
At the time, the Manchester Evening News claimed that Messi might be moving. While Guardiola was making plans, Bernardo Silva sent him a message asking if the rumour was true. He said, “I’d run twice as much!” when asked how he felt about it.
As part of his in-depth look at all seven seasons in Manchester, Perarnau writes about how Guardiola was so down after hearing that Messi was staying with Barcelona that he couldn’t even train at the City Football Academy. He eventually got himself together though and found the drive to lead City to one of their best seasons ever.
News
Lionel Messi Slams PSG as MLS Player Reveals Post-Match Conversation
Lionel Messi Slams PSG as MLS Player Reveals Post-Match Conversation Lionel Messi reportedly doesn’t have fond memories of his time at Paris Saint-Germain and branded his period in France as s*** according to former Toulouse man, Brecht Dejaegere. Having come through the…
10 Players Who Would’ve Won the Ballon d’Or Without Messi and Ronaldo
10 Players Who Would’ve Won the Ballon d’Or Without Messi and Ronaldo In 2023, Lionel Messi was awarded a remarkable eighth Ballon d’Or after an incredible 12 months that saw the Argentine lead his nation to World Cup glory at the back end of…
“Everybody knows he is one of the greatest ever” – When former Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in dream XI
“Everybody knows he is one of the greatest ever” – When former Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in dream XI In 2015, former Juventus midfielder and manager, Andrea Pirlo picked Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo for his…
GUARDIANS – De Paul and Lionel Messi in style on their way to Venezuela via Baranquilla
GUARDIANS – De Paul and Lionel Messi in style on their way to Venezuela via Baranquilla . . .
The day Messi reunites with Barcelona is not far away
Inter Miami have not ruled out the possibility of bringing Lionel Messi back to Barcelona for his first match at the newly renovated Camp Nou stadium. Barcelona are in the process of refurbishing their iconic home stadium. There are proposals…
Messi looks downcast while having lunch with his girlfriend
Messi looks downcast while having lunch with his girlfriend Messi appeared to be in a bad mood while having lunch with his girlfriend Antonella in Barcelona When appearing together in public, the Barcelona striker rarely shows intimate gestures towards Antonella….
End of content
No more pages to load