Guardiola: Football needs managers and personalities like Klopp

Pep Guardiola has echoed his previous claim that Jurgen Klopp is his best rival in Football.

Speaking in the aftermath of the shock news that the Liverpool manager will be standing down at the end of this season (Per ESPN), Guardiola said that no one has come close to challenging him as a manager than the German and that he has helped to shape an era in Football.

“I will sleep better [when Klopp goes]. The games we play before against Liverpool were almost a nightmare. Of course he will be missed. It was a shock [to hear the news]. I felt when I heard it that a part of Man City … we will lose something. We cannot define our period here without him … without Liverpool. Impossible.

“They have been our biggest rivals. And personally he [Klopp] has been the best rival I ever had in my life – in Dortmund when I was in Bayern, then here. I think the Premier League are going to miss him – the charisma, the personality and especially the way his teams play.

Klopp did not discuss his future plans, but Guardiola was adamant that we will see him on a touch line again.

“Maybe it’s my opinion and he will not admit it but he will be back. I know it. Football needs managers and personalities like him. And I hope … it was our dream when we were together … hopefully now from next season we can have time to go to dinner together. Or have the drink that we deserve to take.

“He loves the game but it is nine years in the same place, the demand is so high. Every moment you think I need to breathe. I didn’t speak with Jürgen but maybe he feels that. Take a break, take a step back and take a perspective on everything. I understand completely. I don’t want to compare with him but at Barcelona I had that feeling. I needed the time to find myself.”