The two ‘main culprits’ behind manager Pep Guardiola’s departure from Barcelona have been revealed.

According to El Nacional, Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, were the main culprits behind Guardiola’s departure from the Blaugrana in 2012.

The report added that Messi and Pique even considered leaving Barcelona if the Spaniard was to continue as the manager.

Guardiola was promoted to become first-team manager at Barcelona in 2008 after spending a year with the club’s team B squad.

Between 2008 and 2012, Guardiola created arguably the best-ever Barcelona team at Camp Nou.

Barcelona won two Champions League titles and three La Liga titles by the time Guardiola parted ways with the Catalan club in 2012.

The reason for Guardiola’s departure was long understood to be fatigue.

The Spaniard spent a season away from football before returning to management with Bayern Munich.

He is currently the manager of Premier League champions, Manchester City.

Nevertheless, Sandro Rosell, who was the club’s president at the time Guardiola left Barcelona, had claimed that his departure came as a result of dressing room problems.

“It has been explained by active and passive Guardiola and the players, that it was a clash between Guardiola and the players. A problem that was in the locker room,” Rosell said.