The rivalries between football club managers are not what they used to be. Twenty years ago, Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) and Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) had such a toxic relationship that it ended in a general altercation between the two teams in a stadium hallway. At the beginning of the 2010s, José Mourinho (Real Madrid) and Pep Guardiola (Barcelona) also sparked in Spain, the first multiplying the provocations against the second in a press conference.
In comparison, the competition between Pep Guardiola (now at Manchester City) and Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool) is a nice cohabitation. The two men are only mutual respect and friendship, multiplying the praises vis-à-vis the other.
Klopp on Guardiola: “I like him, I respect him a lot. » Or : “Two years ago, our families met. Someone who has such a good family is bound to be a good person. » Guardiola willingly returns the compliment: “Jürgen makes the world of football a better place to live. » “I admire what Liverpool are doing, how good they are. When I retire and play golf, I will remember that the main rivals were Liverpool. »
Heavy metal versus classical music
This politeness, which is not feigned, has given rise for some years to one of the most beautiful competitions at the head of the Premier League, the English championship. Just as in tennis the opposition between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic forced these exceptional players to constantly improve, Liverpool and Manchester City offer an exceptional spectacle, always progressing in their football.
On the one hand, the charismatic 54-year-old German, to the game which he compares to “heavy-metal” if it was music. On the other, the 51-year-old cerebral Spaniard, with a game calculated to the millimeter, which one would rather compare to the perfection of classical music.
This battle, respectful but fierce, was once again illustrated on Sunday May 22 with a last day of dream championship. Manchester City were in the lead, with 90 points and only three defeats in the year. Liverpool were close behind, at 89 points and two defeats. At 4 p.m. local time, the former met Aston Villa while the latter faced Wolverhampton.
The Mancunians have their destiny in hand but had to win to be sure of winning the title. A draw or a defeat, and Jürgen Klopp’s team could beat them at the post. The latter loves this position in ambush, claiming to have nothing to lose:
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