Klopp: I’d prefer if Pep were to take four-year break
DESPITE their epic rivalry lifting the Premier League to new heights, Jurgen Klopp jokes that he’d enjoy his job at Liverpool far more if Pep Guardiola was nowhere near the Etihad. Guardiola is in the final year of his contract at Manchester City with serious discussions yet to start over an extension. While Klopp (left) acknowledges the ‘best manager in the world’ has forced Liverpool to raise their own game, he wouldn’t mind the Spaniard disappearing — though his loud guffaw indicates he believes the City boss will end up staying. ‘I would prefer Pep to do a sabbatical for four years. A hundred per cent serious,’ said Klopp. ‘Actually, my preferred solution would have been that he had a sabbatical the last four years!
‘I don’t know how often I have to say it but he is the best manager in the world and he is proving that all the time. It is really special what they are doing and I respect that.
‘I wouldn’t miss our rivalry! He has told me when we are not in charge of any club any more, we will sit together and have a glass of wine, even though I am not a big wine drinker.
‘We could do that but if I’m (still) working and he’s off, I would visit him and we (can) have that talk no problem.’
Liverpool have won four major trophies since Klopp arrived in 2015 but their haul would have been far greater had City not clinched four Premier League titles in five seasons under Guardiola — Klopp’s team twice missing out by a single point.
Unlike the other great managerial rivalries including Sir Alex FergusonArsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho-Rafa Benitez, Klopp and Guardiola have always displayed a healthy respect towards each other.
‘I’m a happy person and have no problem with the situation,’ said Klopp.
‘Federer and Nadal competed at the highest level and are friends. Pep and I are not best friends because we don’t know each other but I respect him a lot,
and I know he respects what we are doing. You don’t need to be disrespectful just because you are rivals.
‘Around the games I would say we have a good relationship without meeting. During the games we are both competitors but so far we did really well in cutting out any (bad) stuff.’
Guardiola meanwhile will continue to keep opposition managers guessing about his defensive selections and says team rotation is a positive.
The City boss (right) surprised Manchester United by playing Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake together rather than Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte.
Even with John Stones and Kyle Walker out injured, it’s difficult to predict the back end of Guardiola’s starting XI today — and that’s the way he wants it.
‘I’m a big fan of rotating the players so everybody is involved. I’m not a big fan of playing the same 11,’ he said. ‘We have to look each time which players will be the most reliable because we’re playing every few days and you don’t want to worsen injuries.
‘I rotate first because of the physical demands but also because I want everyone to feel part of something. When you never play, that’s difficult. Everyone has the chance to play 10 minutes, 45, 90. After that, it depends on the players.’