Guardiola certain Messi & Neymar will gel

Berlin: Ex-Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is certain that Lionel Messi and Neymar will work well together at Camp Nou.

The four-time Ballon d`Or winner will play alongside the 21-year-old this season following the Blaugrana`s €57 million signing of the Brazilian from Santos earlier in the summer. Guardiola, who left the Catalans at the end of the 2011-12 season but returned to the sidelines with Bayern Munich this June, thinks that some fans` fears that the duo will not gel are unfounded and stressed his belief that Spain will rise again following their 3-0 thrashing to the Selecao in the Confederations Cup final. "Will Messi and Neymar work together? The best player of all time alongside a brilliant footballer? I’m sure they’ll work together," he told the press. "Barca and Spain have got a lot of longevity. It’s not unusual that Spain lost [to Brazil], they had to at some point. Age will always catch up with you at some point but the national team have a bright future. Spanish football coaches work very well with the youngsters and with the talent there is out there, so I`m not worried." Meanwhile, he believes Barcelona will also continue to flourish. "Barca won 100 points last season, which is a tremendous feat," the Spaniard said. "[Johan] Cruyff’s philosophy lives on and they still have marvellous players." Guardiola`s return has roused interest among those who wonder how will he fare away from his familiar Camp Nou setting and the 42-year-old trainer says he feels refreshed after his break. "I was simply tired after four years of coaching Barcelona," he added. "I hadn’t rested, I needed a break. If I still needed a break, I would be very far away from the dugout. When asked why he chose the Bundesliga to return to, he responded: "It was Bayern that chose me, and I loved their players and the German organisation." Guardiola`s first competitive match in charge will be on July 27 in the DFB-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund. goal.com