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Pep Guardiola has joked he will sleep better next season knowing Jurgen Klopp will not be a main rival – but claims the Liverpool manager will be back at the highest level soon.
Klopp made a bombshell announcement on Friday he is set to leave the club at the end of the season after eight and a half years in charge – having won every top-level competition available to him at Anfield.
Guardiola’s Manchester City have still dominated the Premier League with victories in four triumphs over the last five seasons – with Liverpool’s 2020 title win the only blot on the treble winners’ record.
Asked if Guardiola will miss Klopp next season, the City manager replied: “I will sleep better. The games against Liverpool have almost been a nightmare. Of course he will be missed. I was shocked like everyone. I felt listening to the news that a part of Man City will lose something.
“We cannot define our period together here without him. We cannot define our period without Liverpool. It’s impossible. They’ve been our biggest rival and personally he’s been the best rival I’ve ever had in my life.
“The Premier League is going to miss him, his charisma and his personality. And especially the way his teams play. It’s always been a pleasure to respect his approach, no matter what. The fans are going to try to win the game. Of course, I wish him all the best. It’s always tough, but from now on Liverpool will be tougher.
“Maybe it’s my opinion, he won’t admit it, but he will be back. I know it. Maybe in 10 years’ time, I don’t know, he said he needs to recharge his energy. That’s his personality and his energy. He’ll be back at the national team, another team, somewhere, I don’t know.
Klopp cited fatigue for not being able to continue as Liverpool boss – after 23 consecutive years as a manager including his times as Mainz and Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Asked if he understands that viewpoint, Guardiola replied: “He still loves the game, he still lives on the touchline with passion. But it’s nine years in the same place, the demand is so high.
“Sometimes you feel you need to breathe. You need to take a break, take a step back. So I understand.
“I don’t want to compare with him, absolutely not, but at Barcelona I had the same feeling, to reflect myself. You don’t have time for one [game] and another one. Maybe it’s the feeling Jurgen felt.”
The long-term future of Guardiola was also discussed in the Spaniard’s post-match press conference following their last-gasp 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round win over Tottenham on Friday night.
Guardiola has one year left on his contract at the Etihad Stadium – which raises speculation over how long he will continue in Manchester.
Asked if he felt the same fatigue as Klopp in recent years, Guardiola jokes: “You want to sack me? I’m fine.
“I’ve still got one more year, I want to do it, maybe I’ll extend. I’m fine. What we did [in winning the treble] last season, you want more and more? It’s not going to happen.
“What is important is just one step at a time. What I feel now is we cannot lose, otherwise Liverpool will leave [us behind in the title race]. We still have the FA Cup, you have to be close [in the Premier League], around the corner is the Champions League.”
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