In the modern era, Pep Guardiola is probably the most influential manager. After all, he's already considered to be one of the best coaches of all time.
Having won major honours with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, the Spaniard has worked with some incredible players over the years. Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta made up part of his iconic Barca team, while the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Philipp Lahm dominated under Guardiola in Germany.
More recently, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland have delivered the goods for the 54-year-old in England, but there are a few notable figures Guardiola never got to work with. Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar instantly spring to mind. And, of course, he never got to play with any of these stars either.
Interestingly enough, Guardiola has now claimed that he would have loved to have shared the pitch with Neymar more than anyone else.
Guardiola Full of Admiration For Neymar
Speaking to TNT Sports, Guardiola was asked to name the one footballer he wishes he played with. He needed a few seconds to think before replying:
"Ahhh, good question... Neymar!"
The answer may come as a surprise to some. After all, Guardiola never got to play alongside Messi, having left Barcelona in 2001. Or even club icon Diego Maradona might have been a more obvious pick, with the Argentine leaving six years before Guardiola broke into the senior Barca set up.
Instead, the Catalan coach named Neymar. It's not the first time he's spoken fondly about the Brazilian either. In 2021, he remarked, "I remember watching clips of Neymar and thinking this is the king of Santos. The players had their mouths open.
"If Neymar had stayed at Barcelona, they would have won two or three Champions League more. Him, [Lionel] Messi and [Luis] Suarez were the best up front. He makes football a pleasure.
"I always believe with the quality of the players, there isn't a defensive strategy to stop them. They are too good. They are incredible players, that's why they are there."
Neymar: 'I've Always Wanted to Work With Guardiola'
Neymar vs. Bayern Munich
Neymar appears to be a big fan of Guardiola, too. In 2018, he lamented how their paths failed to cross in Spain: "I've always wanted to work with Guardiola. He's different. I arrived (in Barcelona) a year after he left. I really want to work with him."
The Brazilian has also revealed how close he was to playing for Guardiola during his time as Bayern Munich manager. He explained
“I almost went to Bayern because of Pep Guardiola,. "After I won the Puskas Award, my dad kept calling me at 2am. I answered, he told me to open the door, I was in my boxers.
"It was my dad, Pep Guardiola and the translator! Pep told me: I want to sign you and bring you with me, to whatever club I go to. I will make you the best player in the world. He shows me a paper, opens his laptop, tells me where I’d play.
"Pep also said: if you don’t score 60 goals in a season, I’ll change my name. I was saying, 'Okay, but what team?' Pep said, 'I can’t tell you yet because it’s not out yet', but I persuaded him to tell me. He said, 'I’m signing with Bayern. I know it is a cold city but I will take care of you'. In the end I decided to join Barcelona.”