Messi believes Guardiola will do well with Chelsea

Barcelona striker Lionel Messi said on Thursday that the queue forming to bring ex-Barca manager Pep Guardiola to the Premier League is understandable, because Guardiola is "guaranteed to succeed wherever he goes".

Guardiola has been strongly tipped to take over at Premier League side Chelsea, following the dismissal on Wednesday of Roberto Di Matteo.

Rafael Benitez has been appointed as the London club's interim manager while a full-time replacement is sought.

Messi, the three-times winner of FIFA's Golden Ball and favourite to win again at the end of the year, was speaking at the Nou Camp as a video-games producer presented his charitable foundation (the Messi Foundation) with a cheque for US$ 250,000 (RM 765,250).

The Argentinian went on to say that the dismissal of Di Matteo, who masterminded last year's elimination of Barcelona from the Champions League, wasn't entirely surprising.

"I think that Chelsea is one of the best clubs in the world," said Messi, "and when you are in a club like Chelsea and you lose two consecutive games, they start talking about sacking you, and about your replacement. This happens at all the best teams in the world."

On Tuesday, the Barcelona striker scored twice in his side's three-nil victory over Spartak Moscow which put the Catalans through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Messi, who is closing in on Gerhard Muller's record of 85 goals in one calendar year with 80 to his name for 2012, called the Champions League "the best of all the competitions we play".

The Argentine star was also questioned on whether he considers Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo the biggest threat to his supremacy in the Spanish Primera.

And once again, Messi insisted that he doesn't "compete" with Ronaldo.

Both winners of the Golden Ball, the two frontmen are frequently the subject of media debate as to which mercurial talent is the the best in the world.