Pep Guardiola is the greatest manager in the world says Barcelona chief Luis Enrique as Manchester City travel to Nou Camp
Former Barca legend returns to the scene of his finest triumphs with a glowing tribute from his arch-rival
LUIS ENRIQUE has told arch-rival Pep Guardiola — you are the best manager in the world.
The Barcelona boss heaped praise on Guardiola as the Manchester City chief returns to the scene of his greatest triumphs tonight.
Enrique said: “I value more my friends than my enemies. Pep is a good friend of mine. I always thought that he is the best manager.
“I haven’t seen any of his training sessions but he thinks more of attack than defence.
“How you attack is very important for a football lover.
“I don’t know how you measure if he is the best in history but I’m sure he will be one of the most important managers in modern football.” Guardiola’s task against his former club is huge as Lionel Messi has returned from injury and looks to be in scintillating form.
Gerard Pique was Guardiola’s first signing at Barcelona back in 2008 in a £3.5million switch from Manchester United.
And he warned Pep that Messi will ensure a miserable night for City. The Spanish defender, 29, said: “I see Leo in great shape. He only needs three minutes and makes you pay.
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“Ask Pep Guardiola about Messi. He’s the best in the world.
“He gives us a lot. No matter if he is 100 per cent or ten per cent because he is so different and so good.
“Just his presence on the pitch means a lot for us — and sometimes for the other team.”
Manchester City might be able to get the architect of Barcelona’s glory era.
They got the men who gave Guardiola the chance to build football’s finest machine, too.
But as Guardiola and the City hierarchy looked round the Nou Camp, they were warned they can simply forget the very idea that they might entice the stars who REALLY make the difference.
Brazilian superstar Neymar’s new Barcelona deal is the latest twist in the cold war between Guardiola and his old club.
The announcement, 48 hours before tonight’s clash of the Champions League titans, was a blunt message to City’s ‘Barca clan’ of Guardiola, Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano: There is NOU way you’re getting Neymar. Or Lionel Messi. Or Luis Suarez. Or Sergio Busquets.
All targeted by Pep last summer. All still at the Nou Camp. One by one they are signing new deals . . . although Guardiola is not giving up!
Don’t be fooled by the lovey-dovey stuff about ‘Pep’s return home’. There is a Catalan civil war going on in front of our eyes and City are caught in the middle.
Midfielder Busquets signed a new deal just weeks ago. Suarez chose Barca ahead of Eastlands when he quit Liverpool and is also about to commit his future to the Nou Camp.
Barcelona boss Enrique said: “A few weeks ago it was Sergio. This Monday it was Javier Mascherano and on Friday it will be Neymar. It’s great news for the club, for the coach and for the players. It means they are happy here. Everyone comes out a winner.”
Centre-half Gerard Pique, for many the symbol of this Barca side, said: “Pep has been very important to Barca but he’s got another project important to him.
“Man City with a financial capacity that can sign any player, it’s no surprise they focus on the best in the world. They play in Barcelona.
“I’ve not spoken personally with players in the club but I wouldn’t be surprised if City and Pep were trying to sign them.”
This is the culmination of a power struggle between the bigwigs of both clubs. For the previous FC Barcelona ‘government’ now runs City and they are locked in a propaganda war. City chief executive Soriano and Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu are both at it.
Soriano, Begiristain and Guardiola belong to the Johan Cruyff camp of the Barca divide.
Bartomeu was against Cruyff, along with previous president Sandro Rosell, who replaced Joan Laporta. The latter was the president who appointed Guardiola with Cruyff’s blessing.
This ideological battle has raged for years and now key members of the previous Barca board rule the Etihad.
City’s propaganda campaign has reached fever pitch in Catalunya this week.
And the key announcement that City’s wage bill of £196m is just 50 per cent of their income was a massive dig at Barca and Bartomeu.
You see, Barca admit breaking Uefa’s Financial Fair Play directive as their wage bill is over 70 per cent of their income.
Soriano wants to ‘sell’ himself as having done brilliant work at City since leaving Barca.
Yesterday, key Catalan media were even sent a documentary charting the creation of New York City FC — Soriano’s pet project to make City an international football franchise.
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Soriano is painting himself as a successful football executive while forcing Bartomeu to spend tens of millions more each year on new contracts for his stars — all targeted by City.
Amazon is touted as a potential mega-sponsor for Barca from next year as Bartomeu desperately seeks to bring in more cash.
One thing is clear. City may have got Guardiola, Begiristain and Soriano. And they may have got Yaya Toure in his prime six years ago.
But Messi, Neymar and Suarez?
And Pep must prove himself at City without some of the players who made him at Barca . . . starting tonight.