How did Pep get the best out of Messi? He banned sex after midnight, says Nasri

Posted Tuesday, November 15, 2016 by Goal.com

The Frenchman has opened up about some of the Manchester City manager's more unusual rules, revealing how important it is that his players get a good night's sleep

Samir Nasri says Pep Guardiola's secret to getting the best from his players is to prohibit them from having sex after midnight.

Nasri left Manchester City to join Sevilla on loan in August after managing just 15 minutes of Premier League football under the new manager at the Etihad Stadium.

Although the former Arsenal star spent little time working with the ex-Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss, there was one clear instruction issued to the squad that he has not forgotten.

"Relations must be before midnight. Even if you have a free day the following day," Nasri told L'Equipe du Soir when asked for one of Guardiola's secrets for getting the maximum from his stars.

How did Pep get the best out of Messi? He banned sex after midnight, says Nasri

"It's so you can have a good night's sleep.

"He told us this is how he managed to get the best out of Messi and Lewandowski, and for them to avoid the maximum number of muscular injuries."

The 29-year-old, who was deemed overweight by Guardiola upon his return for pre-season training, also hinted at the Catalan coach's equally strict dietary guidelines.

"He suppressed many things that were in the kitchen," Nasri said.

"With Guardiola, on the first day of training, you know how you should play, how to squeeze and also how to stand off the ball. The next day, you have videos for everything that you have to do.

"He will not bully you, but he will do everything to make you progress, to get you to know you how to position yourself and how to play. He's a picky person."

City enjoyed a stunning start to the campaign, winning all 10 of their opening matches, and a recent dip in form was offset somewhat by a convincing 3-1 victory over Barca in the Champions League.

They resume their domestic campaign with a trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Nasri, who has enjoyed outstanding form under Jorge Sampaoli at Sevilla, is set to face Deportivo La Coruna in his next outing.