Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp paid a glowing tribute to Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola ahead of what could be the pair’s final meeting, anointing him the best manager he has ever seen.

The pair have shared many memorable battles over the past decade, first in the Bundesliga and then at the vanguard of the Premier League, and face one last top-of-the-table clash at Anfield.

With Klopp leaving Merseyside at the end of the season, only the possibility of a meeting in the latter stages of the FA Cup could now add another chapter, leaving the German to reflect on their long battle for supremacy.

While Liverpool have a slender one-point lead going into the match and Klopp boasts a marginally superior head-to-head record in their 29 contests together, with 12 wins versus 11, he happily places the former Barcelona man as peerless in the modern game.

“Pep is the best manager in the world. I have a really good life being not even close to that,” he said.

“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.

“I was never frustrated, I knew round about 3,000 footballers who were better than me and I still loved the game; the others who were better than me, I didn’t know them.

“I just got told I have a positive record against Pep… I have no clue how that happened to be honest.

“It made me a better manager trying to find solutions. I know I’m quite good at what I’m doing as well, I don’t want to sound like, ‘Oh my God, I’m just happy to be here’, but you ask me about the best: he’s the best. Bam.”

While lavish with his praise for Guardiola, Klopp did take issue with any negative characterisation of the duo’s relationship, insisting they were bound by similarities rather than differences.

“I don’t feel it’s a rivalry, but I understand why you call it that” he said.

“There’s no rivalry. We are both really competitive, we both want to win football games and we are both blessed with really good players in our teams.

“If we meet in the future it will be full of respect. We have not had the opportunity to meet each other more often, but we would have a lot to talk about. Definitely.

“On Sunday it’s not about me having that opportunity (to beat him) for the last time – it’s not sure anyway, maybe in the FA Cup we could meet again. It’s a big game. City games always were, always will be probably.”

Klopp rejected the notion that the match was effectively a title decider, with 10 more games still to play and Arsenal also firmly in the trophy hunt, but could not hide its significance.

“I don’t know who is playing on the weekend in the other leagues but it’s probably the game of the weekend and being able to be part of that is massive.

“Title race decider? I don’t know who thought that up. It’s really early, we could go through all the possible scenarios.

“Whatever the result, I don’t think anybody should open the bottles of champagne.”

Liverpool have a major doubt over defender Ibrahima Konate after he came off injured in the second half of Thursday’s 5-1 Europa League win at Sparta Prague, meaning Jarell Quansah could get the biggest start of his career alongside Virgil van Dijk.

Klopp could also welcome Mohammed Salah back to his starting XI, with the Egypt forward making a timely return from the bench in midweek.

Source: BeinSport

Klopp, hurry and leave my club please. Stop this persistent nonsense

You dey whyn us

Whining abi na mind games

Did you know??




Sometimes you have to play the role of a fool to fool the fool who thinks they’re fooling you.

Pep is the best manager in the world. I have a really good life being not even close to that

😂

Zwooks:
Klopp, hurry and leave my club please. Stop this persistent nonsense

shut up.
You're not a Liverpool fan.
If you check now na Man Utd, Chelsea or Arsenal you go dey support

Yeah oooh and you are the second best manager right now

He is not far from the truth....

But we will always hold the Special One so close to our heart.
He remains the best coach as far as all of us at MANNA are concern.

We want him to come back to coach our darling Club for the 3rd time.

The Special One.
The Only One

If den ask dat one too..naso e go talk...mind games

Klopp the real niggar

Pep is only the best Coach after Guardiola

12 - 11
… this one means a lot 🥲

H

Best manager

C.Ronaldo Best player

Arsenal Best club

Arsenal fans Best fans in the world

NIGERIA worst country

Apc worst party

Buhari worst ex president

Tinubu worst president ever...

Truth

Even Ferguson run when he heard that pep is coming to England

Man city go collect for Anfield.

Obviously.

Then followed by him.

Pep oooooooooo, have Marcy on us and leave EPL make others follow win na.....


Na because of your greediness causes Klopp to leave, wetin na..... Leave our league alone..... You have ruined everything.

Zwooks:
Klopp, hurry and leave my club please. Stop this persistent nonsense

You no be LIVERPOOL#NEVER!!!!

Zwooks:
Klopp, hurry and leave my club please. Stop this persistent nonsense

He just said the truth. Klopp is a good coach too. He is just being honest. I not Pep's fan neither am i a Mancity fan. I'm a Man united fan.

Thank you for everything you have done. We wish you better✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼

It is clear to the Blind. Only deluded Man Utd fans think otherwise. Meanwhile, there club has spent nearly more than Pep with no visible achievement within same time frame.

Lol…klopp sabi play mind games

It's true

Truvelisback:
He just said the truth. Klopp is a good coach too. He is just being honest. I not Pep's fan neither am i a Mancity fan. I'm a Man united fan.

How is it the truth? He is surely leaving. But we will miss him. He is better. Good at what he does.

Nwaokunkpara:
Best manager

C.Ronaldo Best player

Arsenal Best club

Arsenal fans Best fans in the world

NIGERIA worst country

Apc worst party

Buhari worst ex president

Tinubu worst president ever...

This is why Arsenal will never win the Champions League

Fact

harryboyng:



How is it the truth? He is surely leaving. But we will miss him. He is better. Good at what he does.

Who is leaving?

Mind games,Anyways no thanks to Arab oil money and 115 charges....klopp is the best in my book