Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has backed Jose Mourinho to succeed at Chelsea, while insisting he will have no problems playing with Neymar.
Mourinho's Real Madrid and Messi's Barcelona had a great rivalry during the Portuguese's three-year reign at the Bernabeu, and Messi now has no doubts that Mourinho will be quite successful back at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentine also does not envisage Real Madrid to be weakened by any means after the Los Blancos appointed Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager.
"I think the Spanish league is difficult anyway and will continue being difficult," said Messi, who was in Senegal as part of the Aspire Academy's Football Combating Malaria project.
"We'll be fighting against strong teams with great players like Real Madrid. Mourinho was a great coach but we know that Ancelotti is equally great.
"I think Mourinho will also succeed back at Chelsea because he's a great manager."
Following Barcelona's big-money capture of Neymar, there have been some suggestions that the club will find it difficult to accommodate the two superstars in the same side, with Johan Cruyff even suggesting Barca should consider selling Messi if the right offer came.
However, Messi believes the two players can co-exist at the Camp Nou. "I know Neymar is a great player who is going to bring a lot to Barcelona," he said. "God willing, we will be able to play together at Barca."
Last season Bayern Munich came out as a major force in Europe, thumping Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals on their way to the title.
Bayern will now have former Barca manager Pep Guardiola at the helm and Messi has little doubt that Bayern will thrive under the Spaniard.
"I think we have a great team and great players, as we've shown over the years," he added. "I think the arrival of Guardiola will make Bayern stronger.
"Winning the Champions League is always difficult and our objective is trying to win everything and succeed in all competitions. That's how we work at Barcelona.
"You talk of Germany dominating football recently -- I don't know what is going to happen in the future.
"I know Germany have a history of great teams in global football at international level and club level. Winning the Champions League is difficult for anyone, whether they are from Germany or Spain.
"But I know Germany had a great year last year."
One trophy missing from Messi's CV is the World Cup, with the Argentine constantly criticized for not showing the same form for his country.
Messi is hopeful the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will end his wait for an international trophy. "If God wills it, then we will win the World Cup," he said. "We still have a year to go until the next tournament and we need to keep developing and improving.
"We still have some way to go but I think we have time. We need to keep improving and it would be a dream for us to win the World Cup."
