Guardiola: "The affection I have for Barça destroys me"

Pep Guardiola is currently Manchester City's coach, and has managed an impressive track record in the English club, including four consecutive Premier League titles and its first Champions League title in 2023.

This makes Guardiola one of the most honoured football managers of all-time if you add his time at Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona. In Barça, Guardiola also lifted two Champions League trophies as the coach, in 2009 and 2011.

Despite his commitment to Manchester City, Guardiola still has affinity for Barcelona, and he admits would rather not cross path with them in the Champions League playoffs.

"The affection I have for Barça destroys me", Guardiola told in the Italian program Che Tempo Che Fa. "I was born in a small village nearby, facing off is necer easy".

Guardiola has suffered Barça's goals as a coach in Bayern and City

Guardiola has already faced Barcelona in Champions League, as the manager of City as well as Bayern. In fact, one of those times was in 2015, when Barcelona, then managed by Luis Enrique, eliminated Bayern in the Champions League semi-final that Barça eventually won.

He also suffered a hammering against Barça as City's coach in the group stage two seasons later. Real Madrid ended up winning that year.

In the same interview on the Italian TV show, Guardiola also talked about Messi, whom he believes is the best player of the world, even above Pelé and Maradona, and also Johan Cruyff, whom he describes as his biggest influence that made him fell in love with football.