A new book reveals how FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi offered himself to Manchester City and their manager Pep Guardiola in 2020.
Guardiola’s seven years at the Etihad so far have been chronicled in ‘God Save Pep’ by Catalan writer Marti Perarnau.
As explained by SPORT, which carries quotes from the book published on November 23, one chapter explains the events of August 2020 when City icon and Messi’s close friend Sergio Aguero warned that the number 10 could wind up in northwestern England.
Messi had allegedly sent Aguero a message saying that he wished to leave his boyhood club because of disagreements with the Barca board at the time led by then-president Josep Bartomeu.
As Guardiola made his way back to his hometown Barcelona from the Portuguese capital Lisbon, where City had been eliminated from the Champions League by Lyon in a post-pandemic format of the knockout phase, he received his own correspondence from Messi.
“Hello, Pep. How are you?” it read, with Messi reeling from Barca’s 8-2 humiliation in the same competition by eventual winners Bayern Munich.
The pair that enjoyed unparalleled success together in the Blaugrana’s greatest-ever team from 2008 to 2012 met at Guardiola’s house the next day Perarnau claims.
Messi was warned that “it rains a lot in Manchester”, and also of how hard the Premier League champions train.
Guardiola feared they might fall out as well, but Messi vowed to “put up with everything” that the demanding coach ordered as he just wanted to “kill” his time at Camp Nou.
Further steps were taken by Messi to try and force his way out of Barca that summer, which as we now know came to nothing.
Though he demanded Bartomeu release him from his contract by way of an infamous burofax, he was also reluctant to drag the club through the courts and eventually gave up.
Bartomeu resigned in October, and Messi had a change of heart by the following summer under the rule of elected president Joan Laporta.
A promise to renew Messi was a key focus of Laporta’s campaign, but he failed to deliver on this when Barca were unable to renew their most famous player’s contract thanks to Financial Fair Play hurdles.
Messi eventually wound up at Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, and then decided not to rejoin the Catalans before the current European season when they approached him.
Barca’s economic woes again proved key, and Messi opted to sign for Inter Miami as opposed to waiting for Laporta and Co. to get their house in order.
Now aged 36, Messi is unlikely to represent Barca in a playing capacity again but has been tipped for a behind-the-scenes role such as sporting director in retirement.
