Sean Dyche has shared a hilarious conversation where Pep Guardiola admitted warning Lionel Messi against joining Manchester City. The reason? England's terrible weather and the physical nature of Premier League matches.
According to Dyche, Guardiola told Messi: "It rains. It rains and rains. And when it stops raining, it rains again." But that wasn't the only thing keeping the Argentine superstar away from Manchester.
The Man City boss also warned Messi about those tough away days at Burnley under Dyche. "Lionel, on a Monday night, you have to go to Burnley, Sean's team. And they go bang, bang, bang, bang," Guardiola apparently told the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Dyche confirmed he would have given Messi exactly the physical treatment Guardiola feared. "That's exactly what we're going to do, Pep, you warned him correctly," the former Burnley boss admitted with a laugh.
The Everton manager even joked about how Messi would have reacted to Turf Moor's infamous weather conditions. "Imagine that, his face turning up at Turf Moor going, 'What on earth?' Absolutely smashing it down with rain, wind blowing across and knocking you over."
Messi's Career Path After Barcelona
Instead of testing himself in the rainy, physical Premier League, Messi opted for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. The Argentine spent two seasons in France before moving to Inter Miami in MLS last summer.
This decision likely spared Premier League defenders from dealing with Messi's incredible skills. It also denied fans the chance to see how the diminutive maestro would have coped with the league's notorious physicality.
For betting enthusiasts, Messi's choice to avoid England means we'll never know if he could have matched his incredible goal-scoring records in La Liga. The Premier League's weather and physical style have troubled many foreign stars during their adjustment period.
Messi Opens Up About Ronaldo Relationship
In other Messi news, the Argentine has clarified his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite their long-running rivalry, Messi insists they share mutual respect.
"I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and for the career he's had," Messi told Dsports. "We're not friends obviously because we don't spend time together, but we've always treated each other with a lot of respect."
Both superstars are now in the final chapters of their storied careers. Messi continues to dazzle with Inter Miami, while Ronaldo captains Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Football fans around the world remain divided on which player deserves the GOAT status. But one thing seems certain - we'll never know how Messi would have handled a rainy night in Burnley!
