Jurgen Klopp did his best to suppress one of those big smiles but, by the end of the question, it had become impossible. The time had come to speak his mind about Pep Guardiola.
‘Not sure if I ever told Pep but... I like him, it’s true!’ said Liverpool’s manager. ‘From time to time, I annoy him with things I say in press conferences that are not meant to say anything bad about him or Man City, but then somebody on the City staff tells him, “Klopp said this or that!”
‘I can see in his press conference that he gets really angry. Sorry for that! No, look, I respect him a lot.
Jurgen Klopp was in a relaxed mood as he spoke about Liverpool's game with Man City
Klopp and Guardiola have had their differences but they have huge respect for each other
‘We think we know a lot about each other but we actually don’t. We meet each other for football games. Two years ago, we had a few situations where we went together to Manchester for awards.
‘Our families met. I can tell you that somebody with a family like Pep Guardiola must be a good person because his missus and kids are outstanding. That is what is important to me. So, during the game, whatever he says and whatever I say is not that important.’
It was striking that Klopp was in such a relaxed mood. There were points during last season when such an inquiry about his relationship with Manchester City’s manager would have been greeted with scowls and suspicion. The German, unquestionably, was frazzled by his team’s fraying form.
Back on an even keel, however, thanks to Liverpool’s promising start, Klopp felt comfortable enough to elaborate about Guardiola and the unique demands that are required to try to match the teams and formations that the Catalan concocts.
Guardiola has been posing questions of Klopp since they first went head to head on a blisteringly hot night in Dortmund in 2013 in the German Super Cup, and the challenge has been to try and keep pace. It is doubtful the pair will ever socialise but, in many ways, they need each other.
Guardiola has been posing questions of Klopp since they first went head to head in 2013
Guardiola was also complimentary of Klopp, saying the German had made him a better coach
‘He helped me, his teams helped me be a better manager,’ Guardiola acknowledged in response. ‘He put me at another level to think about football and prove myself to be a better manager, with our teams, to try to beat them. That’s the reason I’m still in this business.
‘Jurgen is one to challenge you to make a step forward. We did it in
