5 managers under whom Lionel Messi has made the most appearances

#3 Ernesto Valverde - 124

Ernesto Valverde managed Lionel Messi (in yellow) for over 100 games.

Ernesto Valverde had a fairly decent spell at Barcelona, thanks to the brilliant exploits of Lionel Messi.

In Valverde's two and a half seasons at the Camp Nou, Messi scored 70 league goals as the Blaugrana won consecutive La Liga titles (2017-18 and 2018-19). Overall, the Argentine conjured a staggering 112 goals and 51 assists across competitions under Valverde.

However, a poor start to the 2019-20 campaign saw the Spaniard relieved of his job. That didn't go down well with Messi, who took a thinly veiled jibe at Blaugrana's then sporting director Eric Abidal.

Lionel Messi felt Valverde was meted out unfair treatment. The Argentine said:

"I think everyone has to be responsible for their own jobs and take responsibility for their decisions... when you talk about players, you should give names because if not, you’re feeding things that people say and aren’t true."

As things turned out, Barcelona sacked Abidal the very next day they let go of Valverde.

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#2 Luis Enrique - 158

Enter captionLuis Enrique (right) had a fabulous spell in charge of Barcelona.

Luis Enrique is one of the best managers in Barcelona's history. He had a highly successful three-season stint at the Camp Nou, delivering the Blaugrana their second continental treble in his first season in charge.

Under Enrique, Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez formed one of the most lethal attacking triumvirates in football history, and wreaked havoc in Spain and Europe. Messi, in particular, contributed a staggering 153 goals and 76 assists in 158 games under Enrique. That includes 58 strikes and 31 assists in their treble-winning campaign in 2014-15.

The current Spain manager delivered a rich haul of nine titles, including two La Liga and one Champions League during his stay at the club.

Lauding Messi, Enrique later said:

"It’s impossible to carry the ball so close at that speed. Losing for Messi is very hard for him. You could see it the next day, after the match. In football, Leo Messi is a genius, clearly, just like Beethoven or Dali."

He added:

"Messi is a competitive machine. If at the beginning he had come up against a veteran who wasn’t Ronaldinho, who had been more selfish or more of an a*shole, he would have had more problems."

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#1 Pep Guardiola - 219

Enter captionEnter captionPep Guardiola (right) and Lionel Messi.

Pep Guardiola is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the game's history.

Taking charge of Barcelona in 2008 with no prior top-level management experience, he oversaw the most prosperous period in Blaugrana's history. It was under his tutelage that a certain Lionel Messi blossomed from a raw uncut diamond under Rijkaard to one of the best players to have graced the sport.

In Guardiola's four seasons in charge at the Camp Nou between 2008 and 2012, Barcelona won their first continental treble (2008-09) and two Champions League titles.

Messi was the crown jewel in Guardiola's star-studded Blaugrana team. The Argentine magician contributed a staggering 211 goals and 94 assists, including a record 73-goal tally in the 2011-12 campaign.

In a later interview, Lionel Messi waxed lyrical about the current Manchester City manager, saying:

"He (Guardiola) has something special about him. I don't know. He makes you see things in a certain way in terms of how he prepares for games, both defensively and going forward. He could tell you exactly how the match is going and how you have to attack to win."

It remains to be seen if the duo will reunite again before the Argentine great hangs his boots.