“Will be back sooner or later” – Pep Guardiola expresses his views on Jurgen Klopp’s departure in latest press conference

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed his opinion regarding Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave Liverpool. He believed that the German manager would not be off-pitch for a long time. 

Pep Guardiola Press Conference: Man City coach hoping to meet Jurgen Klopp in the FA Cup

Guardiola and Klopp shared the stage for years, displaying one of the best rivalries in the Premier League’s history. The former Barcelona midfielder came to City in 2016, a year after Liverpool signed Klopp as the successor of Brendan Rodgers. The Premier League is not the first stage for both men to beat each other, the Bundesliga was. From 29 meetings, the German won 12 times, while Guardiola 11 times. 

“I always have the feeling he (Klopp) will be back sooner or later,” he said via City’s official release. “He loves football. His passion is there. He explained perfectly the reason why (he is leaving). In the Premier League it’s the last time but maybe in the FA Cup, we will see.”

Pep Guardiola Press Conference: Warning his players before Anfield visit

City will travel to Anfield to face the top-table side this weekend. Both teams have only one point deficit to each other, making the outcome of this match-up, favourite to win the title this season. 

Guardiola warned his players to look after Liverpool carefully, considering The Reds’ recent performance both in the domestic and European stages. He also stated that there will be a special treatment to overcome The Reds attacking game. 

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“We have already seen some details about the way they attack [which] is different to previous seasons,” Guardiola said. “The quality of some players makes the game different. The main parts are the same and we know it quite well, but the little details we need to adjust. 

“At the same time, knowing that we must look at the games we and they have played recently and see if we need to adjust something to be more comfortable with the players that we have to play on Sunday.”