"It won’t be like Guardiola’s with Lionel Messi" - Brest coach Eric Roy on facing Barcelona in UEFA Champions League
French side Stade Brestois coach Eric Roy has compared Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi's Barcelona with the current Catalan side. His comments came ahead of their clash with La Blaugrana in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (November 26).
Guardiola coached Barcelona between 2008 and 2012, winning 14 accolades, including two UEFA Champions League and three LaLiga titles, among others. It was under his guidance that Messi is believed to have reached his peak. The Argentine recorded 211 goals and 94 assists in 219 outings across competitions under Guardiola. The manager was also the first to use Messi as a false nine; a decision that revolutionized the Barcelona side.
During a pre-match press conference, Brest coach Eric Roy compared Pep Guardiola's Blaugrana side featuring Lionel Messi with that of Hansi Flick's current team, saying (via Diario SPORT):
"Barça is once again an incredible team. It won’t be like Guardiola’s with Messi but they are on the right track."
Roy further compared the Barca side to an 'ogre,' adding:
"Maybe Barça won’t let us impose our game, but we’ll try. It will be a good match for sure. We always want to propose things. I tell my players that we have to be at our level. If Barça is stronger, we’ll congratulate them. This lasts 95 or 100 minutes and we’ll have to be brave and have the courage to play against this ogre called Barça."
Barcelona are sixth on the UEFA Champions League table with nine points off four games. They have lost only one game (2-1 against Monaco) this season. Meanwhile, Brest are fourth on the table with 10 points off four games after three wins and one draw.
Lionel Messi's UEFA Champions League career with Barcelona explored
Lionel Messi won four UEFA Champions League titles with Barcelona in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015. However, in 2006, the Argentine legend did not play in the final where they beat Arsenal 2-1, owing to an injury.
In 2009 and 2015, Lionel Messi went on to win the iconic treble with the Catalan giants, i.e., the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, and the Copa del Rey. In 2009, the team was under Pep Guardiola's guidance while Luis Enrique managed them in 2015.
Messi has recorded a whopping 120 goals and 41 assists in 149 games for the Catalan side - the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the competition after Cristiano Ronaldo (140 goals). He has also been the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League six times in his career — 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2019.
