Every photographer working at the Parc des Princes will have one primary objective in tonight’s Champions League game — capturing the moment that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reunites with Paris-Saint Germain forward Lionel Messi.
“They will salute each other and hug emotionally,” says a source who knows Messi well. “Their relationship has always been good, closer at some times than others, but always good. They owe each other a lot.”
In their four seasons together at Nou Camp, Barcelona won 14 trophies — including three La Liga crowns, two Champions Leagues and two World Club Cups. Messi also firmly established himself as the best individual player in the world — his first Ballon d’Or came after his first full season under Guardiola in 2008-09, and he retained it every year they worked together from that point.
That is not to say that everything ran smoothly day to day between two such driven and complicated characters. By the time Guardiola left Barcelona in 2012, the power balance between them had shifted considerably, and it was better for both that they parted.
The nine years since have also seen their names interlinked continuously. Messi has definitely enjoyed their previous on-pitch meetings more than Guardiola, and there have been constant rumours that they could be reunited, something that really was very close to happening in 2020. “Together they won everything,” says another source who has worked with Messi.
