Pep Guardiola has admitted that there is one manager in the Premier League who gets tougher and tougher to go up against every season.
The Manchester City boss has made similar claims about Jurgen Klopp in the past, stating in December that he is his hardest-ever opponent.
In November, the Catalan tactician even claimed that the German has turned him into a superior manager due to how difficult his teams are to play against.
Jurgen Klopp has also returned the compliment, referring to City as “the best football team for decades.”
In March, Klopp crowned Guardiola as the best manager in the world.
However, the mutual respect between the pair does not come as a surprise.
Pep Guardiola says it gets “harder” every season to face one manager
Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp were not strangers to each other’s qualities in England as they went head-to-head with each other during their time at Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively.
But considering the rivalry between City and Liverpool has been even more intense, one can understand why the pair respect each other’s growth as tacticians and winners.
The question is how many other managers Guardiola holds in such high regard.
One would assume Jose Mourinho is certainly a name that stands out for all he has achieved.
The same goes for Carlo Ancelotti.
But there is not a single manager in the Premier League, apart from Klopp who can even be compared to Mourinho and Ancelotti apart from Guardiola himself.
However, Pep Guardiola has admitted that locking horns with Roberto De Zerbi is becoming a tougher challenge for him season by season.
“Harder, [the] admiration is growing every season. So, they had a lot of problems, important players were sold like [Levi] Colwill, [Alexis] Mac Allister, [Moises] Caicedo, so they are really, really important players”, he said [via HaytersTV].
“They have a lot of injuries, they play three competitions but the way they play always is there. What he has done and is doing is always an incredible job in Brighton.”
Which out of the tactical masterminds will come out on top between Pep Guardiola and Roberto De Zerbi when Manchester City face Brighton on Thursday will be interesting to see unfold.
Another reason why De Zerbi may succeed Guardiola at City
In January, it was reported that even if the Italian does not replace the £378,846-a-week man at City, there is a “strong possibility” that he could manage the club one day.
It was also claimed in October that Pep Guardiola told three Brighton players after the 1-1 draw between both sides last season that Roberto De Zerbi would replace him at Manchester City.
In May, Guardiola also hailed De Zerbi [via BeanymanSports] as “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years.”
With the Spaniard once again singing the Brighton boss’ praises, honing in on how difficult it is to face him, perhaps the Manchester City board might take that into consideration.
As Guardiola has praised De Zerbi as much as he does anyway, perhaps the higher-ups might view his latest claim as another reason why he could be the best possible choice to succeed him at the club.
