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Lionel Messi has been told that he has not played at the same level for Barcelona since Pep Guardiola left the club in 2012.
The Argentine striker was the lynchpin on Guardiola’s side during the Man City managers’ time at Camp Nou, and together they won 14 trophies over a four-year period.
From a personal perspective, Messi also won four Ballon d’Or awards during Guardiola’s reign, but has since won two more, despite Barcelona’s perceived decline.
The last of them came only last year, but Ajax boss Erik ten Hag still believes Messi is no longer the player he once was.
“Messi was one of the leaders, but he also worked for the team and stood out as a result. He has never been as good as under Guardiola,” said Ten Hag. Voetbal International.
(Image: AFP / Getty Images)
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“Barcelona has not gained much in European terms in recent years either.
“Messi still excels, but now he also occasionally goes over the lower limit. It was never like that under Guardiola.”
“Pep has guts, he dares to be a pioneer and an innovator.”
Barcelona have only reached the Champions League final once since Guardiola moved, in the 2014/15 season when they beat Juventus
They were close to reaching the final of last season, but for a second collapse in the semifinal against eventual winners Liverpool.
Messi had dragged his team into a commanding position with two goals in the first leg at Camp Nou, but could do nothing with Liverpool’s surprising return in the second.
During the tie, he had an intense battle with Reds full back Andy Robertson, who gave an idea of the ability the 32-year-old still has.
“The things he does with his feet are scary, sometimes you have to guess to defend yourself against him,” Robertson told that Peter Crouch podcast.
“I remember he was in the byline at one point, and I thought ‘he’s just playing for a throw-in here, no problem …’
“But it’s as if I had gotten him into it somehow, and out, he went into the park, changed the move, and I was like … no other human can do that!”
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