Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp have often got along well as Manchester City and Liverpool compete for major honours.
The Spaniard and the German are usually seen embracing on the sidelines before and after their sides clash, while the pair have also been highly complimentary of each other in the media.
However – according to The Athletic – there is one thing sources close to Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp are saying about their relationship…
What’s the story?
Well, it is said that there is a “cold respect” between the 52-year-old and the 56-year-old.
The Athletic believe Klopp and Guardiola’s frequent praise of each other acts as a cover for this coldness.
It was written: “Some sources describe their relationship as one of cold respect, their warm words for each other’s achievements acting as a veneer.”
Ultimately, Guardiola – being the perfectionist that he is – could surely never be close friends with someone who has given him such a headache in English football.
Klopp is the only active Premier League manager to take a Premier League title from the Santpedor-born tactician since he arrived at Manchester City in 2016.
The other two are Claudio Ranieri and Antonio Conte.
Klopp also got the better of Guardiola in UEFA Champions League action back in the 2017/18 campaign, as Liverpool knocked Manchester City out at the Quarter-Final stage.
Therefore – while Guardiola does respect Klopp – he would have surely enjoyed life at Manchester City even more without the German’s interference.
Pep Guardiola vs Jürgen Klopp
Interestingly, Guardiola has faced Klopp more often than he has any other manager – the pair have clashed on 28 occasions.
The Spaniard has won 11 of these meetings, losing 12 and drawing five – as shown on Transfermarkt.
As such, Klopp – who backs Manchester City to win the Premier League this season – is remarkably the only manager who Guardiola has suffered more defeats against than he has enjoyed wins.
That shows just how disruptive Klopp has been to Guardiola’s tactics over the years, and the Manchester City boss will surely be itching to level things up at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
