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Lionel Messi's transfer to Inter Miami in the MLS sent shockwaves across the football world, but his former manager Pep Guardiola had jokes about the move.
The Spaniard was at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium ahead of the UEFA Champions League final, where Sergio Aguero was present as a guest for ESPN's SportsCenter.
Pep Guardiola gatecrashed one of Sergio Aguero's segments, as he walked up to the former Manchester City man to greet him. The pair embraced and exchanged pleasantries before the Spaniard made a cheeky remark, referencing Aguero's compatriot Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami. He said:
"Are you taking everybody to Miami? (smiles)"
Guardiola managed Aguero while he was still at Manchester City between 2016-21. During their time together, they won three Premier League, one FA Cup, four EFL Cup and two Community Shield titles. The Argentine ended his career at the Etihad as the club's all-time top scorer with 260 goals across competitions.
Aguero then moved to Barcelona in 2021 to team up with compatriot Lionel Messi, who departed for Paris Saint-Germain just weeks later. Unfortunately, Aguero's career was also cut short after he was diagnosed with a heart condition, forcing him to abruptly retire from the sport. Since then, he has appeared as a guest on talk shows and also runs his podcast.
Aguero will be at the Ataturk Stadium as his former manager Pep Guardiola looks to win his third Champions League title as a manager.
When Pep Guardiola joked about subbing Haaland off to protect Lionel Messi's record
Manchester City went on a remarkable run as they won their seventh FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Manchester United last weekend.
On their way to the final, they faced newly promoted Burnley in the quarterfinals, managed by club legend Vincent Kompany. City ran out 6-0 winners, with Erling Haaland bagging a hat-trick, including two goals in two minutes in the first half.
However, Pep Guardiola subbed the Norwegian off just minutes after he bagged his hat-trick in the second period and joked that he did it to preserve Lionel Messi's record.
Speaking about Haaland in his post-match interview, Guardiola said:
"Yeah, eight goals in four days. I played for Barcelona for 11 years and scored 11 goals. Yeah, he's incredible. I substituted him after three goals so he does not break (Lionel) Messi's record. So that was the reason why."
The Spaniard will lead his team out against Simone Inzaghi's Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday (June 11).
