Ajax coach and former Barcelona defender Frank de Boer has hailed current Blaugrana boss Luis Enrique as the two former teammates prepare to meet in Tuesday's Champions League Group F clash.
The pair were at Barca together from 1999 to 2003, when De Boer made 144 La Liga appearances for the Catalan side, and won the Spanish title in 1999.
The former Netherlands international, who could well be a candidate for the Barca job in the future, told his pregame news conference that he had enjoyed his time playing and training alongside the ex-Spain midfielder.
"I have very fond memories of [Luis Enrique]," De Boer said. "He was the vice-captain, a fighter, a winner, an example as a professional who always gave 100 or 200 percent. You have seen that afterwards, with him running triathlons and a marathon in just over two hours. He is incredible."
De Boer's Ajax beat Barca 2-1 during last season's group stages, although then-coach Gerardo Martino's side had won their first meeting 4-0 and still qualified as group winners.
The Dutch coach believes it would be difficult for his young Eredivisie side to go one better and win at the Camp Nou, but not impossible.
"We can get a result in this game," he said. "Last year we saw that we can get something from such a match. Barcelona are at a higher level compared to us and have more experience. It is difficult for any team here, but we will try.
"The most important thing is that we play according to our style and with confidence. This is our moment; we just have to keep faith in our philosophy. We have to play our football and do it in the best possible way. We have some key players out injured, but we have others to come in."
Lionel Messi scored a hat trick in Barca's win last season, and De Boer said the Argentina international was playing even better this year, although he suggested it would have been better to have come off for a rest against Eibar last weekend when asked by his boss.
"Messi will be the best in the world for many more years," he said. "Not just because of his goals -- he also has made many assists over the last couple of years. A complete player. It is unbelievable to have set all those records at such a young age.
"He always wants to play, he never wants to be substituted. He has the experience to know how he is physically, although when the coach says something you have to listen."
Former Ajax striker Luis Suarez misses out an a reunion with his old club as this is the last fixture covered by his four-month FIFA ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the summer's World Cup -- though the forward is set to return for Saturday's clasico against Real Madrid.
De Boer said that Suarez -- who scored 81 goals in 110 Eredivisie games for the Amsterdam side before moving to Liverpool -- was a winner who had worked hard to keep improving himself.
"As a person [Suarez] is very good," De Boer added. "I know him off the pitch, he is very normal. As a player he is a winner, he always wants to score, like Messi and Ronaldo: in friendlies; against amateurs; He wants 10 goals and if he misses one he gets angry. I like that he's at Barcelona, because he's fought hard ever since he arrived at Groningen."