Even after Pep Guardiola leaves Manchester City, a manager he will be compared to for the following decades is former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Much like how Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are still pit against each other due to the fierce rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal, the same could be the case between the two modern-day greats.
Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp’s enmity on the football pitch is unique as it stems from their time in Germany.
However, the rivalry was taken up a notch once Manchester City appointed Guardiola in 2016 — a year after Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool’s manager.
It seemed like destiny that the two tacticians’ paths aligned in the Premier League as well — with opinions continued to be divided over which manager is better.
In May, Gary Lineker sided with Guardiola over Klopp as the superior manager out of the two.
Vladimir Weiss names feat Guardiola has achieved that Klopp has not
However, Simon Jordan prefers Jurgen Klopp over Pep Guardiola — due to the difference in terms of the finances both managers were afforded at Liverpool and City respectively as well as the German’s style of play.
Klopp lauded Guardiola by describing him as “the best manager in the world” during his final season at Anfield — hinting that his opinion remains unaffected regardless of Manchester City’s 115 financial charges.
In November last year, Pep Guardiola claimed Jurgen Klopp has made him a “better manager” due to how much his Reds side pushed the Sky Blues over the years.
Regardless of how one views both managers, they seemed to share an incredible level of mutual respect.
Ahead of Manchester City’s upcoming contest against Slovan Bratislava, Vladimir Weiss initially compared Pep Guardiola to Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi.
As quoted by journalist Simon Bajkowski, Weiss said: “I would compare Pep [Guardiola] to Antoni Gaudi. He’s been building something nobody could understand and he is a genius just like Gaudi had his idea like a cathedral and now he’s achieved what he wanted to do. He’s selected players who fit his philosophy.”
Vladimir Weiss also claimed that while he rates Jurgen Klopp very highly as a manager, he feels where Pep Guardiola sets himself apart from the former Borussia Dortmund boss is down to his influence as a tactician.
“I love [Carlo] Ancelotti, I love [Jurgen] Klopp but Pep has changed football with his attitude and creativity and stubbornness — in a good way. Each player plays in his position, whether at Barça or Bayern Munich, the players know how to move, where to be, what is their position, City is showing it on the pitch.”
How Pep Guardiola should be viewed after he retires
After Pep Guardiola retires, naturally, the masses will heap praise on his dominance at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
The £378,846-a-week man’s remarkable trophy haul will be remembered for years and justifiably so.
However, as Vladimir Weiss claimed, unlike legendary managers like Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola has changed the scope of the sport globally.
When Guardiola was appointed by Barcelona in 2008, his methods stuck out like a sore thumb.
However, the six-time Premier League winning-coach’s success has led to his philosophy becoming a common foundation for several other managers to be inspired by.
Pep Guardiola’s sheer influence on the game as a whole should be the lasting memory about his legacy as this aspect of his career supersedes the trophies he has won.
