Jurgen Klopp is set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season and his rival Pep Guardiola has paid tribute to Klopp, saying he has seen him more than any other manager in his career.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has paid tribute to “great manager” Jurgen Klopp after announcing he will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.
Guardiola and Klopp maintained a great rivalry for several years while in charge of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. They have met a total of 29 times in all competitions, with Klopp winning 12 times, Guardiola 11 times and drawing 6 times.
Guardiola was asked about Klopp’s impending departure after City beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the FA Cup fourth round. He told ITV: “He’s a great manager. I didn’t know him well, but he was also a good man.”I think if he leaves, a part of Manchester City will leave.
He was our biggest rival, along with Liverpool and Dortmund, and my biggest rival. He will miss him and I will miss him. “I’m a bit pleased. I’ll sleep well before the Liverpool game, but I wish him all the best.” He won’t admit it, but he’ll be back.”
Explaining his decision to step down, Klopp admitted he simply “ran out of energy” and informed the club of his decision in November.”I understand a lot of people are shocked when they first hear it, but I can explain it, or at least try to explain it,” he said. “I love everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our fans, I love the team and the staff.
I love everything.” But the fact that I’m still making this decision shows that I’m convinced that it’s the decision I need to make. How can I put it, I have no energy left. I have no problem now. Of course I know for a while. I have to report it at this time. But now I’m very good.”I know I can’t continue to work.
After all the years we’ve spent together and all the time we’ve spent together and all the things we’ve been through together, the respect for you has grown, the love for you has grown, and the least I owe you is the truth. “In an ideal world I wouldn’t have told anyone until the end of the season, I would have won it all and then said goodbye.
It’s impossible. In the world we live in, it is impossible to maintain this secret. You can be surprised. We can still maintain it. Many things influence this, especially personal circumstances. My employees need to know ahead of time. Clubs in particular need to know and plan ahead.
“You can’t plan anything and you can’t actually start anything. If you know something but don’t disclose it, you can do a lot, but you can’t do a lot of important things. “That means the club needs time.”
