What's the story?
Brazilian full-back Dani Alves has recalled the time Pep Guardiola got angry with him for constantly passing the ball to former teammate Lionel Messi during his time with Barcelona.
In case you didn't know
Alves and Messi worked together at Barcelona for eight years before the former moved to Serie A giants Juventus in 2016. During that period, the duo won six La Liga trophies and three Champions League trophies from a staggering total of 23 trophies.
After a brief one-year stint at Turin, the defender went on to join Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. He recently announced his decision to leave the Parc des Princes this summer but his next destination is yet to be confirmed.
The 36-year-old recently led Brazil to the Copa America title, amid a series of bold allegations made by Messi. The Argentine blasted the South American Football Confederation for allegedly favoring the Selecao throughout the tournament and accused them of corruption.
Alves, who is a close friend of Messi, slammed him for the comments calling them disrespectful to Brazil and the players who have worked hard to win the tournament.
The heart of the matter
In an interview with SportTV, Alves revealed how he angered his former manager at Barcelona, Guardiola, by constantly passing the ball to Messi during games.
He said (via Sport English), "With Guardiola, I had a lot of problems with first-touch football. I always tried to link up with Messi but Guardiola got angry."
"One day I told him: 'I don't accept your complaints. If Messi doesn't touch the ball for two minutes, he disconnects from the match. If we're going to prepare a style that defines our play, he always needs to be connected to it. Then he can link up with the rest of us."
Alves added, " Pep told me: 'You're right.' These types of players always need to be on the ball."
What's next?
While Barcelona are scheduled to face Chelsea in a club-friendly on July 23, Alves is yet to determine his next destination.