Saturday 29 August 2009

Guardiola: "Messi best player I will see in my life"

Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola shared his thoughts after the European super cup game against Shakhtar Donetsk at a press conference:

"It's a great evening, this is the second time I've won this trophy. I'm very lucky to have been chosen to coach these great players. They've worked very hard and made sacrifices and it's all worked out.

We haven't lost the essence of our side, it's been physically tough but it all came right in the end. In April or May you're on a roll. Right now we're still at an early stage of the season. Suddenly it's August and you're contesting trophies. That's why it's hard to win this competition. We've managed to bring two Super Cups home already and that's not bad at all.

I don't create players, I try to advise and support them. Pedro scored the winner but it's a team game. We always maintain an excellent standard and I'd like to congratulate those who have helped Pedro to improve his game. Lucescu wanted a penalty? Well, we also should have had one on Messi, so that makes it one all.

I am honoured to have won the same number of trophies as the legendary team of Kubala in the fifties. In the end it was Leo who took the weight of the team on his shoulders. It's a different player, special, unique. He is by far the best player I have seen and will see in my life. Barça is lucky to have him at the club. He's a key part of the team.

The playing conditions were very bad. The heat, the humidity and playing on turf that has no adjective to describe it. Let's see if we can recover. If we would have lost I wouldn't have said this but the surface was a disgrace. The pitch was a real shame because we risked serious injuries. UEFA have to watch it and cannot consent to that in future.


Zlatan Ibrahimovic is improving every day, he's getting better and better. It's a new team for him and it will take time but he can combine different styles of play and he'll find his own place in the team. He's such a good player that he will fit into our game. It's no problem since his mind is open. There's many things that need time but the squad will help him adapt as soon as possible. He needs time, training and games but step by step he's going to do well for us."

Read more:
European Super Cup: Barcelona-Shakhtar 1-0 (aet)

11 comments:

Necro Spaaw said...

well said Pep, agree wit everything, you're a legend in my book!

Unknown said...

Very nice translating Pep....

tero said...

Messi just might be the best player the world has ever seen...or will see

Unknown said...

"If we would have lost I wouldn't have said this but the surface was a disgrace."

Unlike some Chelsea players, Pep can use the d-word in a sentence and can still sound elegant.

rahul said...

peps a legend he is one of teh most intellegent n clever man i have seen really grateful that he is our coach n messi is our player.

i_love_boobs_and_barca said...

He is right, indeed. Messi is probably going to be the best footballer ever; let alone Pele and Maradona.

Nzuu said...

Anonymous, Pep said Messi is the best he has seen and will ever see. He has never spoke of Ronaldinho that way before. Let's face it, last night we didn't play well and yet 22 (not 25)year old Messi took the whole team and contributed the greatest into our victory, with all respect and love to Pedro who finished the ball.

We have never played rubbish without Messi and won. While we are playing badly and Messi gets in, he can make things happen. That's a lot of responsibility for a 22 year old in a team that has confirmed their stature as Europe's finest. Ronaldinho was totally orgasmic and electric and a vital piece to our jigsaw, but considering that he was already 25 when he cemented his right as the finest, Messi is slightly more gifted than him. Messi's dribbling skills are naturally harnessed, it was something he was born with. He is an incredibly intelligent player.

Messi, if he keeps humility will be down into the books as the greatest the world has ever produced, and we have lived to see it.

Anonymous said...

@Nzuu

You joke not? Messi more gifted then R10? Did you ever seen the games of R10 in Paris? R10 is an was the most gifted player in the world. Messi is a superstar without doubt. But he will never be the best. Superstars like Maradonna or Pele was over the time they play. Its like R10. He was spectacular and most talented player the football had ever.Sorry but Ronnie at 22 was much better then Messi. The difference is that R10 played for a bad team. And every Barca fan and a football fan will confirm with me. I think Messi is a very talented player and a star and he will be great but not the level R10. For example Jayjay Okocha was great too, maybe one of the most talented player ever but he was not constant. And R10 destroy himself. I think R10 if the whole thing not happened will be the best. Messi plays in a team with two genios players behind him( 2 superstars better then for example Zidane) and cause of this he is so strong.

In my eyes Iniesta is better then Messi. The only problem is that Iniesta scores not enough.

Eto was one of the best Barca striker ever and then they buy somebody who is a shame. The only one who can ever replace Eto in his position was the young Ronaldo, nobody else.

jahjah2001 said...

Well said Pep. Diplomatic as always.

Nzuu said...

@anonymous (I don't lik to compare barca players but you seem to miss the point)

I rate iniesta as the best midfielder in the world (Xavi being the best playmaker) but to say he's better than Messi is just an injustice.

Xavi last night was not playing well, but it was Messi who was keeping our Energy levels high. He is the one who provided the decisive assist.

When Messi and Iniesta play together, Messi gets more heavily marked than Iniesta which makes Iniesta have more space to exercise his talents. I can see you don't believe me.

I am not playing down Iniesta because he doesn't score, but because, without Messi the team can't seem to gel well. We all know what happened at Racing Santander, Osasuna, Shaktar last season and Shaktar this season. It's not like the midfield was poor but the decisiveness was lacking which Messi can provide.

Last season's champions league semifinal saw Messi successfully marked out by Chelsea and we nearly lost until his decisive assist to Iniesta which resulted in the happiest moment of my year to date.

In conclusion, Messi does not use flipflaps, stepovers to do the job, but pure instincts. Messi provided one of the best short pass assist I have ever seen last night. He scored arguably the best goal of this decade when he was 19. He took U-19 Argentina to glory when he was 18.

He is incredibly rare. Iniesta is awesome and I love that he's a Barca team and truly gifted, but to say he's better than Messi is something else. The boy is 22 and he does what he does, the way he does. I'm sorry but I'm not jumping onto the "inesta > messi" bandwagon

Anonymous said...

Agreed with Pep and NZUU! Nicely said! Vamos Barca!

Custom Search
 
Custom Search