Real Madrid legend says Barcelona under Guardiola were a nightmare to face – ‘Tough time for us’ | OneFootball

Marcelo, the former Real Madrid left-back, recently reflected on one of the most challenging periods for Los Blancos—the era when Pep Guardiola managed Barcelona.

During an appearance on ‘La Revuelta‘, the Brazilian opened up about his experiences during that time and shared insights into his career.

Marcelo acknowledged that Guardiola’s tenure at Barcelona made things extremely difficult for Real Madrid.

Under the Spanish coach, the Catalan side dominated possession and controlled matches with their precise, fast-paced style of play.

For Real Madrid, competing against a team that was so comfortable on the ball was no easy task, and Marcelo admitted that it was a period when his side had to work tirelessly to keep up.

Praise for Messi

Marcelo praised Lionel Messi. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The conversation also touched on Lionel Messi’s impact on football. When the host referred to the Argentine as the greatest player in history, Marcelo recognised Messi’s incredible talent.

The former Madrid defender had high praise for Messi, acknowledging his extraordinary skills and the challenge of defending against him.

Marcelo recalled moments when the Argentine easily dribbled past him, highlighting Messi’s incredible speed and unpredictability.

“Yes, I appreciate him a lot. He’s a cracker, he’s incredible. I thought you were going to show me the videos of him dribbling (laughs).

“I couldn’t even see him pass. He’s very fast. There is no problem at all. I was born in a place where dribbling was the best thing, not being dribbled,” he said.

Relationship with Barcelona stars

Despite the intense rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, Marcelo also spoke about his respect for several former Barcelona players.

Marcelo is still in touch with a few Barcelona players. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

He admitted to maintaining good relations with some of them, including Gerard Pique.

He also expressed admiration for Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi, recognising their contributions to the game and the respect they commanded.

“I get along very well with some Barça players. I have dealings with Pique, I talk to him. Pique is very authentic and very sincere.

“I like people to be sincere. I have a lot of respect for Puyol, Iniesta, Xavi.

Looking back at his time at Real Madrid, Marcelo emphasised how difficult it was to play against Guardiola’s Barcelona.

“Guardiola’s time was very tough for us. We had to try to keep possession of the ball, but it was very difficult,” he added.