Guardiola salutes Barcelona history-makers

Madrid: Pep Guardiola has said his Barcelona side would go down in football history after they became the most titled team in the European game by beating Porto 2-0 in the European Super Cup.

"These players are part of a unique generation," Guardiola told Spanish daily El Mundo Deportivo. "This team will go down in the history of the club and the history of football." By beating Porto, Lionel Messi and co took Barcelona`s tally of European trophies to 15 -- one more than former joint record-holders AC Milan (14). It was already Barcelona`s second trophy of the new season, after they completed a 5-4 aggregate success against eternal rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup on August 17. "I`m very happy for the image of the club," added Guardiola, who is now Barcelona`s most successful coach after overtaking Johan Cruyff by taking his personal trophy haul to 12. "These players are exceptional competitors. They never fail and they are very reliable. "The players are really impeccable. They exude confidence. You`d think that one day they`d get tired, but no, they`re different. "With such players, the job of the coach is to be constantly alert. A team like this takes a long time to put together but it could fall apart in an instant." Barcelona, the reigning European champions, will begin their bid for a fourth successive Spanish league title when they welcome Villarreal to Camp Nou for their opening La Liga fixture on Monday. Bureau Report