Jurgen Klopp has shared his views on Manchester City and Pep Guardiola ahead of his imminent exit from Liverpool.
The German will be taking charge of his final game as Liverpool’s manager on Sunday against Wolves at Anfield before he officially brings an end to his nine-year spell at the Merseyside club.
Ahead of this game, the 56-year-old has been speaking about the club and manager he’s seen win five (potentially six) Premier League titles during his time at Anfield.
Klopp drops Man City and Pep Guardiola verdict ahead of Liverpool departure
- Key Man City dates for the 2024/25 season: Transfer window, deadline day, Premier League fixture release, start date and more
Speaking in a recent interview shared on The Redmen TV YouTube channel, Klopp had this to say about Guardiola and City.
He said: “I said a couple of times Pep is, for me, the best manager in the world.
“Whatever they do there, we all know, we all have the same thoughts, it’s just not easy to talk about it.
“I respect the football part of it too much to make it too big a thing but I know that’s there and let’s see what’s the outcome there.”
Klopp vs Guardiola
Without outrightly mentioning it, the soon-to-be former Liverpool manager was referring to the 115 alleged financial breaches from the Premier League City have been accused of.
Regarding the on-the-pitch matters, Guardiola and Klopp have been involved in a top-level rivalry during their time together in the Premier League.
Out of their 16 top-flight clashes, Liverpool have won four, lost five and drawn seven.
In terms of previous title races, the Reds have come second to City on two occasions where the Blues won the league, first in the 2018/19 season and then in the 2021/22 campaign.
Even though Klopp felt the need to reference City’s alleged financial breaches, the fact that he recognises how much of an impressive manager Guardiola is and how much of a juggernaut of a team he has created and kept at the top for so long highlights the levels he’s had to get his side to reach.