Samuel Eto'o has spoken of his tense relationship with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola when they were together at Barcelona.

And the Cameroon icon, now playing for Qatar SC at the age of 38, insists his claim Guardiola was wrong to favour Lionel Messi ahead of him still stands.

He recalled: "Pep had lived all his life in Barcelona, but during the years I spent in Barcelona, he did not understand the staff, he did not live the life of our squad.

"I told Guardiola: 'You will excuse me, because I'm the one who will make Barcelona win, not Messi'.

"That was the situation at the time, Messi would emerge later, but you can ask Xavi, (Andres) Iniesta and the others, that was my era."

Eto'o admits he told Pep: "I was the one who made Barca win and Pep would ask me for forgiveness."

Eto'o would eventually be sold by Barca to Inter Milan.