Lionel Messi had handed in his infamous Burofax last summer to signal his intention to leave Barcelona while citing Barcelona’s lack of a sporting project as one of the key reasons making his decision, as the Argentine felt that their European rivals had left them trailing in their dust. This was clearly exemplified by the humiliating 8-2 rout they suffered at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League at the end of last season in Lisbon.
His decision to leave had nothing at all to do with financial considerations or motivations, but everything to do with a sporting project.
Manchester City had then been primed as the favourites to secure his signature, with the Premier League juggernaut coached by Pep Guardiola, the man who won two Champions League titles with Messi at Barcelona. The Cityzens have demonstrated they most certainly have a sporting project, and and that has only been amplified this season. Guardiola assembled a super-team that won back-to-back league titles and only faltered last campaign, but has since recapitulated and managed to rebuild a titanic force to be seriously reckoned with this season. His team currently sit atop the Premier League, ten clear of second-placed Manchester United.
Speaking in a pre-match press-conference ahead of City’s clash with West Ham United at lunchtime, Guardiola attributed full credit to the talent he has at his disposal, and only when pushed, modestly admitted that he of course gives himself credit, too.
The common rod used to beat this iteration of City is the vast funds they invest in the squad, but as Guardiola himself pointed out – many other clubs, not least of which include Real Madrid and Barcelona, have also spent enormously in recent years too, yet without building a side as formidable as his City.