Pep Guardiola speaks out over Klopp relationship post-Man City vs Liverpool

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola provided a new perspective on his relationship with Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp on Sunday night.

Guardiola and Klopp, of course, pitted their respective managerial talents against each other on the last occasion not long ago.

In a clash set to be the biggest of the Premier League season to date, champions City, a point clear at the top of the division, welcomed their only rivals for the title, Liverpool, to the Etihad.

And, what followed turned out to be 90 minutes to remember, en route to a thrilling 2-2 draw in Manchester.

It was the night’s hosts who barely managed to shade things off when it came to goalscoring opportunities for the duration of the clash but, in the end, strikes from Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane ensured that the situation at the top of the league table Premier League was maintained. how were you

🎙️ “Alexander-Arnold… Salah… GO FOR SADIO MANEEE!”

It’s level AGAIN at the Etihad!! what a game 🤯 pic.twitter.com/os2x3jEB6X

– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 10, 2022

Meanwhile, on the back of the action drawing to a close at the Etihad, the game’s two managers were seen together for a warm hug on the touchline, in the latest display of sportsmanship between Klopp and Guardiola.

Speaking in his post-match interview, the latter focused on his relationship with his counterpart on Merseyside.

And Guardiola went on to assure that although the two ‘are not friends’, his ‘respect’ for Klopp remains very high, albeit with the City boss ready to do whatever it takes to emerge victorious when the two sides meet. again in less than a week:

“I respect Jurgen [Klopp] so much. It has made me a better manager. We are not friends – we don’t have lunch together – I have his number, but I don’t call him. There is respect, he knows that next Saturday I will try to beat him”.

🗣 “We’re not friends, we don’t see each other. We never had dinner together, well we had dinner together one day in the hall of fame.

Pep Guardiola on Jurgen Klopp. 😂 pic.twitter.com/FoWbnTWBjH

– Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 10, 2022

‘Close to perfection’

Amid post-match media exchanges at the Etihad, Jurgen Klopp was overly drawn to the evening’s exchanges, with a specific emphasis on Man City’s performance.

And the Liverpool manager hinted that his team may have been a bit “lucky” to come away with a point, amid suggestions that “the only way” to get the best out of the Sky Blues at the moment is to be near perfect. :

Klopp: “If you’re not lucky in life, you’re screwed. We need to be as close to perfection as possible (for the rest of the season). It’s crazy, but that’s the only way to beat this team.”

—James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) April 10, 2022

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