“He’s fantastic” – Pep Guardiola has personal message for one PSG star after Champions League win | OneFootball

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has sent a personal message of congratulations to Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique following their UEFA Champions League triumph.

PSG cruised to a domestic treble and having won the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France, Enrique’s side swept Inter Milan aside in the UEFA Champions League final to win 5-0 in what was the most dominating performance in a European final of the generation.

Ousmane Dembele is the favourite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or and is just one of many key cogs of the side Enrique has built following the high-profile departures of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe from the Parc des Princes in recent seasons.

PSG also handed Manchester City a 4-2 thumping in the group-stage and after taking a 2-0 lead early in the second half through Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland, the Ligue 1 side fought back and put Guardiola’s men to the sword.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a charity golf tournament in Girona this week, Guardiola showered praise on the brilliance of Enrique and the side he has led to a historic treble – a feat Manchester City managed under the Catalan two years ago themselves.

“Those of us who are his (Enrique’s) friends are very happy, because he deserves it and he’s fantastic,” Pep Guardiola said of his former Barcelona colleague. “When we played in the Champions League and lost 4-2, it gave me a feeling of power in every aspect.”

“They (PSG) eliminated Liverpool and Arsenal, both of whom I know. They performed very well in the final. We are very happy for him (Enrique) and his family.”

Guardiola went on to reflect on a successful season for his beloved Barcelona, who were themselves on course for a treble after winning the La Liga and Copa Del Rey only to be eliminated by Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.

“It’s been an extraordinary year, with almost perfect results. Effective, with three goals per game on average, they’ve done very well, and we hope it continues for many years,” the 54-year-old added.

Alongside former Leeds United star Raphinha, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal has been the shining light for Barcelona in recent seasons and Guardiola was also pressed for his verdict on the teenage sensation, another strong candidate for the Ballon d’Or.

Guardiola said: “He (Yamal) is in the best place in the world to grow. (Hansi) Flick has given Barcelona the nuances and we’ll see in 15 years. Everything points to a very good career given the amount of talent he has.

“Let’s let him (Yamal) have his career; in 10 or 15 years we’ll see if he can be compared to the greatest (Lionel Messi).”