Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola enjoyed one of the best and most closely-fought rivalries in English football history over the course of their shared time in the Premier League – and the respect between them is clear to see.
Klopp and Guardiola shared some of the best title races on record, with the sides separated by just a single point on two occasions.
Liverpool and Manchester City were, without question, the two best sides in the world over that period, and their games were often close and tense.
There appeared to be a great deal of respect, if not friendship, between Klopp and Guardiola, as well. It’s quite fitting that they drew their last two derbies against each other, while their hug after the April 22 draw spoke volumes about their real relationship.
Now, in the newly-released documentary ‘Liverpool FC: Dreamers to Believers” Guardiola pays Klopp one of the highest compliments he could, saying how much he’d have loved to be one of his players.
He said: “Honestly, if I would have been a football player, I would love to be his player. Since many, many years of facing on the touchline, maybe you have certain moments like [growls], but in general, it was right. It was good.”
That isn’t the first time Guardiola has spoken with glowing praise for Klopp, as he was full of compliments for him after their last game against each other.
Guardiola said: “I will sleep better [when Klopp goes]. The games we play before against Liverpool were almost a nightmare. Of course he will be missed.
(Image: Getty Images)
“It was a shock [to hear the news]. I felt when I heard it that a part of Man City… we will lose something. We cannot define our period here without him … without Liverpool. Impossible.
“They have been our biggest rivals. And personally he [Klopp] has been the best rival I ever had in my life – in Dortmund when I was in Bayern, then here. I think the Premier League are going to miss him – the charisma, the personality and especially the way his teams play.”
In turn, Klopp said of the City boss: “Pep is the best manager in the world. I have a really good life being not even close to that. I don’t know how could I judge managers from the past but in my lifetime he’s the outstanding manager. I see excellence when I face it and Pep is definitely that.”
