‘I got so angry with Lionel Messi that even Pep Guardiola told him to shut up’

The great Lionel Messi cut an almost untouchable figure during his time at Barcelona, but current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola knew how to rein him in

Rafael Marquez and Lionel Messi weren’t always on the same wavelength at Barcelona

Former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez recalled a clash with team-mate Lionel Messi – in which then-manager Pep Guardiola stepped in to protect him.

Mexican great Marquez, who currently works as an assistant with his national side, Mexico, played for La Blaugrana from 2003 up until 2010, winning four La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns.

World-beating forward Messi was a significant part of such success, but, according to the critical Marquez, the iconic Argentinian clashed with his team-mates occasionally.

Manager Guardiola, who has led current club City to six Premier League titles in eight years, has been touted as the man capable of restraining Messi. One specific incident displayed exactly how the hierarchy stood at the Nou Camp during the Spaniard’s tenure.

The first Mexican to play for Barcelona opened up about the infamous scuffle, recalling Messi’s slight arrogance and his manager’s iron fist.

“Yes, in a five-a-side game,” Marquez replied, when asked if he clashed with Messi during his time in Spain. “He was on my team and of course, Messi had the ball. He had the goal to shoot and he didn’t shoot.

“We were losing and we said to him: ‘Messi, shoot, Messi, score a goal’. Nothing. Until I got p***ed off and told him: ‘Messi, let go of the ball, bro.’ So he approached and answered me. Pep arrived and said: ‘Messi, shut up. You have to respect Rafa’s hierarchy.'”

Guardiola was a commanding force during his time coaching Messi at Barcelona ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Guardiola’s time in charge of the club culminated in a pair of Champions League successes and three league titles before he jumped ship for Bayern Munich in 2013. Three years later, he ended up on English soil, forever altering the direction of Premier League football.

The Spaniard’s long-time defensive stalwart, Marquez, went on to recall the relationship he shared with Messi and how he and the Argentinian didn’t always see eye to eye.

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“I saw Messi’s debut when he was young,” Marquez revealed. “We had heard that there was a boy at La Masia who was very different from the rest, who made a difference and was a real phenomenon.

“And the truth is, from his arrival, that was truly visible. We expected him to be a great player, but of course, we had to help him because he was very young.

In training, I gave him a lot of orders and he listened. Messi and I were not big friends, we were colleagues.”

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