Heynckes: "I think Messi will play from the start"

"I admire Guardiola; our great friendship has not changed"

Jupp Heynckes, the Bayern coach, does not doubt that Lionel Messi will play from the start at the Allianz Arena, even though he has been coddled recently. "Messi is training normally. I think he'll play from the start," he said.
In any event, he had nothing but words of praise for the Barça team as a whole: "Barça plays at a very high level. It's more than just Messi; it's a great team."
He also denied that he had any problem with Pep Guardiola, his future replacement in the Bayern dugout. "I admire Guardiola. Our great friendship has not changed since the draw."
Heynckes was angered a few days ago when asked if he would telephone Guardiola to prepare for the clash against Barça, but apparently this incident has not affected the pair's relationship.
"I know Guardiola like I know my own team," said Heynckes, when asked about his relationship with Guardiola.
"A lot has been written in the German press about whether Pep and I would speak or not. First of all, I think it would be disrespectful given Pep's connection with Barcelona. But in addition to that, I don't need any information. I know Barcelona well enough," the German manager went on to say.