Lionel Messi has thanked Pep Guardiola after the Barcelona coach announced he will quit as coach at the Nou Camp at the end of the season.
Messi, who has won five La Liga titles and three European Cups since the Argentine made his first team debut in October 2004, has flourished under Guardiola for the past four years.
In an emotional press conference in the Nou Camp on Friday Guardiola announced he will leave the club at the end of the season saying that he needed a break from the game citing immense pressure as the key factor in coming to the decision.
Following an unprecedented haul of 13 trophies – including two European Cups - club president Sandro Rosell thanked Guardiola for his service, describing him as Barcelona's "greatest ever coach".
Such is Guardiola's popularity that most of his first team players were present at the press conference at which he received a standing.
Messi, though, decided to stay away because "of the emotion".
"I wholeheartedly thank Pep for how much he has done for my personal and professional career," Messi said on his Facebook page.
"Because of the emotion I feel, I chose not to attend the press conference.
"I wanted to be away from the press," he added before explaining that he preferred "not to show" his emotions to the assembled media.
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