Jürgen Klopp genuinely likes Pep Guardiola the person as well as Pep Guardiola the coach but that does not stop the Liverpool manager from winding up his rival with public utterances about Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp have a bromance in football. They frequently underline their respect for one another before Manchester City’s trip to face the league leaders at Anfield, with Guardiola admitting that the Liverpool manager is “the reason why I am still in this business”.
“Not sure if I ever told Pep but I like him. It’s true,” Klopp revealed on Friday. “From time to time I annoy him with things I say in press conferences that are not meant to say anything bad about him or Man City but then somebody on the City staff tells him: ‘Klopp said this or that” and I can see in his press conference that he gets really angry. Sorry for that!”
Pep Guardiola credits Jürgen Klopp rivalry with making him a better coach.
“He helped me, his teams helped me to be a better manager,” he said. “He gave me another level to think about it, prove myself, what I have to do to be a better manager with our teams to try and beat them. It’s the reason why I’m still in this business.
Klopp and Pep Guardiola – The rivalry
With nine wins from 21 encounters against Guardiola – who shares an identical number of victories from their encounters in Germany and England – a Premier League title and Champions League quarter-final triumph at City’s expense, Klopp has found various ways to irritate his main adversary beyond the confines of a press room. He may have done so again on Tuesday, albeit indirectly.
Pep Guardiola with Jürgen Klopp at the Etihad last season. ‘There are some managers, Jürgen is one, to challenge you,’ said the Manchester City manager
Guardiola will lock horns with Klopp for the 22nd time on Sunday – meaning only José Mourinho will have faced the Catalan on more occasions.
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