Top 5 managers Lionel Messi has played under

#3 Ernesto Valverde

Ernesto Valverde worked well with Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi and Ernesto Valverde enjoyed a great working relationship. Despite the latter’s spell beginning in defeat – in the form of consecutive Spanish Super Cup losses to arch-rivals Real Madrid – Messi & co. proceeded to go on a 29-match unbeaten run in all competitions under Valverde.

Messi won his fourth domestic double as well as the Spanish Super Cup during Valverde’s debut season followed by a second consecutive La Liga title helped by a 23-match unbeaten run during the manager’s second year in charge. Lionel Messi – who scored 112 goals in 124 appearances under Valverde - also won a host of individual titles under the manager, including a record sixth Ballon d’Or, two consecutive La Liga Golden Boots and two European Golden Shoes, to name a few.

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#2 Luis Enrique

Lionel Messi won a second treble under Luis Enrique

Undoubtedly one of the greatest Barcelona managers in recent times, Lucho is the genius who helped Barcelona evolve from their famed tiki-taka style of play to a more ruthless counter-attacking team. Enrique’s side also notched up some impressive statistics, including scoring 359 goals while conceding just 91, winning 80 matches by the time he reached his 100th game in charge as well as going on a 39-match unbeaten streak.

The last feat broke the record of another certain Spaniard, who will also go down as one of the club’s greatest ever managers. Lionel Messi himself stated that Enrique was one of the best two coaches he worked with, alongside the other Spaniard who we’ll come to soon, with the player noting how lucky he was to have them both as mentors.

Of course, Enrique’s biggest achievement will always be leading Lionel Messi and Barcelona to a historic second treble in 2015. Other trophies Messi lifted under Enrique include one more La Liga title, two more Spanish Super Cups and Copa del Reys, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup.

Lionel Messi also enjoyed his second-most prolific period under the Spaniard, scoring 153 goals in 158 games while picking up individual awards in the form of his fifth Ballon d’Or, one UEFA Champions League top scorer award and one La Liga Golden Boot, among others.

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#1 Pep Guardiola

Lionel Messi thrived under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola

Did you really expect anyone else to be at the top of this list? Besides being one of Barcelona’s most important and successful coaches in the modern era, Guardiola is also the coach who unleashed Lionel Messi from his shackles. The Spaniard helped him become the goal machine that he is today by shifting him into the iconic false nine position at the time.

For these reasons alone, Guardiola will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time. The current Manchester City manager led Lionel Messi and co. to a historic treble in his first season, making him the youngest man to coach a UEFA Champions League winning team.

Barcelona, now firmly built around Messi, ended Guardiola’s debut season with the FIFA Club World Cup and went on to achieve another La Liga title as well as the Spanish Super Cup in Guardiola’s second season, followed by the double in 2011 and a Copa del Rey in the Spaniard’s final season – one that saw Messi score a ridiculous 73 goals.

Lionel Messi – who was at his prolific best under Guardiola, scored 211 goals in 219 appearances and went on to win three of his six Ballon d’Or awards, four Champions League top scorer awards and two La Liga Golden Boots, among other personal honors with the Spaniard at the helm.

Guardiola departed Barcelona after winning an astonishing 14 honors in four seasons, making him their most successful coach ever. Lionel Messi paid tribute to Guardiola’s role in his development, as he lavished praise on the Spaniard's ability as a coach.

“Pep has something special, he makes you see things in a different way. How he prepared the matches, defensively, how to attack, he told you exactly where the game was, how you had to attack to win. I was lucky that I had a lot of time with Guardiola and Luis Enrique, the two best.”

Now it remains to be seen if Messi reunites with his mentor in the colors of Manchester City.