For Lionel Messi, this football coach is "the best of all".

When Lionel Messi speaks, people naturally listen. And his opinions are worth their weight in gold. In a recent interview with the American television channel ESPN, the Argentine star described Pep Guardiola as the best football coach of all time.

“I had met him once, but I didn’t know him, we had no relationship until he became our coach at Barcelona. Pep is unique. There are exceptionally good coaches, but he has something special; for me, he is the best of all,” Messi said, speaking of the native of Santpedor.

"For me, it's the best."

It must be said that Guardiola had a thunderous start to his career at FC Barcelona. From his arrival on the bench of the Culés in 2008, he collected trophies: La Liga, Champions League, Club World Cup.

Lionel Messi was part of that Catalan team that crushed everything in Spain and Europe.

For the Argentinian, things automatically clicked because Guardiola was there.

“His vision, his match preparation, his communication… For me, he’s the best. We were lucky to all be together in Barcelona, him and all of us. He had the players he needed to achieve his goals,” said the world champion.

He reveals that he maintained very good relations with the man in his fifties until his departure from Catalonia in 2012.

"I learned a lot from him: how to move around, how to read space."

“We talked a lot and I learned a lot from him. I perfected my game beyond what I already knew. I learned a lot from him: how to move, how to read space,” the Argentinian said.

Guardiola currently coaches the English club Manchester City, after his time at Bayern Munich between 2013 and 2016.

"He's transforming the game for the entire league."

For Messi, the Catalan has left his mark on the Bundesliga and the Premier League. "Even though he didn't win the Champions League with Bayern, he transformed football in Germany, where we were used to a different style. He did the same thing in England. He doesn't just change a team, he transforms the game of the entire league," Messi said, full of praise.