Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that he would prefer not to face Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League because of his deep emotional connection with the club.
Softfootball understands that Guardiola still holds Barcelona close to his heart, having enjoyed huge success there both as a player and as a manager.
Guardiola replaced Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona manager in 2008 and quickly built one of the greatest teams in football history.
In his first season, he led the Catalan giants to a historic Treble, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League during the 2008/09 campaign.
He went on to win more major honours with Barcelona, including another La Liga title in 2010 and a second Champions League crown as manager in 2011.
Before becoming a coach, Guardiola also enjoyed success as a Barcelona player. He was part of the team that won the club’s first European Cup in 1992, as well as several domestic titles.
During his time as manager, Guardiola worked with legendary players such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, David Villa, Pedro, and Eric Abidal.
His Barcelona side became famous for their tiki-taka style of football, built around possession, quick passing, movement, and control.
Speaking about the possibility of facing his former club in Europe, Guardiola said he hopes Manchester City do not meet Barcelona in the Champions League.
The Spanish coach explained that the love and affection he has for Barcelona makes such a match emotionally difficult for him.
Guardiola has faced Barcelona before as Bayern Munich manager in the Champions League semi-finals. Barcelona won the first leg 3-0, thanks to two goals from Messi and one from Neymar, before Bayern won the second leg 3-2 at the Allianz Arena.
