Javier Mascherano, a former defender for Barcelona, recently expressed his gratitude for his time with the team and stated he was fortunate to play for some of the best coaches in sports.

Mascherano, who moved to Barcelona from Liverpool in the summer of 2010, has learned from some of the best coaches, including Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, and Rafael Benitez.

He now wants to apply all of his lessons learned throughout his coaching profession.

The former defender/midfielder provided MARCA with a lengthy interview, in which he stated:

I’ve had the wonderful fortune to play for various excellent coaches, many of them had unique perspectives on the game of football.

What I’ve attempted to do is take the concepts I’ve presented from each of them and try to come up with some of my own.

“It’s obvious that my experience at Barcelona has left a lasting impression on me when it comes to taking the lead in a team, searching for the ball, and looking for the goal. You attempt to convey everything.

The 39-year-old says he is currently coaching young teams in Argentina and tries to give his players as much creative freedom as they like as part of his teaching methodology.

“I assist the Argentinean youth teams.

“I’m trying to give the player freedom, so that the player, as he’s in the middle of his development, feels the peace of mind of being able to play and express himself in the best way possible,” he said.

Questions about Guardiola were inevitable given the way he conducts himself as a coach. He added when talking about it,

Many of us agree that Pep is the best coach we’ve ever had. He is a coach who has had a remarkable impact on football, and he has had a significant impact on many of his players.

It’s foolish to duplicate him, yet we can do similar things because of what his teams accomplish.

He continued by saying that, personally, he prefers to play football in which his team has greater possession of the ball.

I prefer a team to be able to control the game, whether through possession or by playing in the opposing side’s half.

Xavi, a former teammate of Mascherano’s, is now in charge of the Blaugrana organization, and he thinks the leader is doing a terrific job.

“He [Xavi] has done a great job. He joined the squad during a trying moment, it had been beaten up, and he had to build it from scratch. We can continue to build on the fact that we were able to win La Liga, he remarked.

Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola have each won the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League in the past six months, the pinnacle of club and international football, respectively. When discussing it, he stated,

“In my perspective, if it hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. They are two people I greatly adore and appreciate, therefore it makes me happy.

The 39-year-old responded, “Without a doubt, I think he has come to have it not only in Argentina but in the entire world,” when asked if Messi has the same level of fame in Argentina as he does at Barcelona.

“He has already resolved any disagreement, of the few that remained, after what happened with Argentina in the World Cup and what he accomplished during the World Cup.

The truth is that he is currently evidently relishing everything that occurs to him.

“He controls everything that happens on the pitch and that’s why in my view, or from what I’ve seen, he’s the greatest player my eyes have ever seen,” he continued.

Last but not least, Mascherano believes that every choice a player takes is deeply personal. And based on appearances, Messi appears to be very content in Miami, enjoying life with his family as well as football.

Messi’s choice to travel to Miami? Decisions are usually highly individualized. I can’t judge it, but it appears to me that he’s really content, not just loving football but also life and his family,” he added.