Guardiola: Klopp is the reason I’m still in the business
Robin Bairner
- 1 Oct 2021 19:33 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hailed the influence of Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp, citing him as one of the reasons that he is “still in the business”.
Man City and Liverpool have gone toe-to-toe for the Premier League title in the last three years, with the Etihad side coming out on top twice and the Reds winning on the other occasion. During this period, the other club has not finished outside the top three.
Guardiola and Klopp will meet again on Sunday in what promises to be another blockbuster affair between the clubs, with Man City second ahead of the weekend, one point behind leaders Liverpool in first.
There are some managers, Jurgen is one, to challenge you to move a step forward
- Pep Guardiola“He helped me, his teams helped me to be a better manager,” he said. “He gave me another level to think about it, prove myself, what I have to do to be a better manager with our teams to try and beat them. It’s the reason why I’m still in this business.
“There are some managers, Jurgen is one, to challenge you to move a step forward … here we have many years, many competitions together. Every game was nice, both teams have the same idea, to score goals in different ways; quicker than us but in the same way to win the games.”
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Guardiola ‘happier than ever’ with his squad
Man City go into the game after a 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. It was a match in which critics flagged City’s lack of natural No.9 as a major issue, with the club having missed out on Harry Kane in the summer.
Nevertheless, Guardiola is content with the resources at his disposal.
“The level and way we played is so good. That’s why I’m happier than ever because it’s so difficult,” he said. “Still we have many details but still we are there after six years. That’s why I’m so proud, always I say to them: ‘I cannot express words for my gratitude and the way we played these two games.’”
Man City have still managed to score 12 goals in six Premier League outings, conceding only one, yet Liverpool are the division’s top scorers with 15.
