Pep Guardiola has identified Neymar as the one player he would have cherished the chance to manage. The former Manchester City boss worked with some of football's finest talents, from Lionel Messi to Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, but never got the opportunity to coach the Santos forward.
Guardiola departed Barcelona in 2012, a year before Neymar joined the Catalan club in 2013. This timing meant their paths never crossed at Camp Nou, leaving the Spanish tactician with what appears to be a lingering regret.
"Always, I would have loved, as a manager, to coach Neymar," Guardiola said, according to OKX via City Xtra. He went on to reflect on the Brazilian's brilliance during his Barcelona days.
"Seeing his grace, his beauty, his movements in his prime at Barcelona with Luis Suarez, Messi and him, under Luis Enrique—they were unstoppable," the manager added. Guardiola's admiration underscores just how formidable that Barcelona attack proved to be during their dominance.
The remarks highlight what could have been had circumstances aligned differently during Guardiola's time in Spain. Instead, the pair's paths in football's elite circles diverged before they ever had the chance to work together.
