Now bringing back his Manchester City side for a crucial, but not decisive, Champions League group game, there's a better atmosphere surrounding the return of a familiar face to the Camp Nou than his previous visit, a semi-final first leg as Bayern Munich coach.
"I'm glad when things go well for Barcelona, Luis Enrique, and many more people," the ex-midfielder told reporters ahead of the game. "Hopefully Enrique will be coach there for many years, the team is always getting better.
"[Lionel] Messi is the best player in the world, there is nobody better than him."
Quick to return the favour, Luis Enrique kept their excellent relationship within his focus on the game.
"This is not a match between coaches, as it will be decided by the players," he said."I was fortunate enough to play alongside Guardiola in the national team and at Barcelona.
"Yet, just because we know each other personally does not mean we know how each other will coach."
Few players were as influenced by the current-City boss as Gerard Pique, who made clear his admiration for the Catalan.
"We all have a great memory of Guardiola and his time here," he told the assembled press.
"He changed us all, marking a before and after, as we understood football differently, and he changed the history of this club."
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