'I stood between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola - their behaviour said it all'

· Mirror

Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola were responsible for iconic Premier League battles between Liverpool and Manchester CIty

Former Premier League referee Graham Scott has given an insight into the dynamic between Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. The iconic managers oversaw a rivalry between Manchester City and Liverpool as both sides battled for the league title.

Their duels increasingly came to the fore as Klopp established the Reds as challengers, first taking the title race to the wire in the 2018/19 season. Guardiola’s City side narrowly finished first by a solitary point. Liverpool responded by storming to the Premier League trophy the following year.

The two world-class managers added another chapter to their storied rivalry in the 2021/22 season, with City once again clinching top spot by just one point. Guardiola’s side celebrated a fourth consecutive league triumph as Klopp stepped down from his Liverpool post in 2024 but their title battles provided fans with lasting memories.

The footballing world was recently rocked by City being found guilty of all financial charges brought by the Premier League, spanning from 2009 to 2018, though the club have appealed the verdict. While Guardiola has offered a supportive message to City fans, Liverpool icon Klopp refused to celebrate the outcome. Klopp’s response may not have surprised former Premier League official Scott, who sensed the pair’s mutual respect while working as a fourth official.

> “I actually found that when, I mean, the real elite managers, obviously Klopp and Pep absolutely were, that there was so much respect there,” Scott said on the Undr the Cosh podcast. “You could feel the respect between them. They were never actually going to go at each other.

> “When a big team is at home, somehow, the manager of a lower-placed team, they’re all big clubs, but the lower-placed team can be a little bit cowed and respectful. They’re quieter than they are when they’re at home and they’ve got their own environment. When they’re at home to the big clubs, they tend to be a bit more like that.

> “Generally, Pep and Jurgen Klopp would have been so full of respect for each other that they wouldn’t have got into a proper bun fight.”

Former Liverpool boss Klopp recently gave his thoughts on the City verdict. The new Germany manager offered a fresh stance, having previously vowed to celebrate if the Reds were retrospectively awarded titles.

He said: “Of course I've heard about that, but I haven't given it much thought. I can only wait and see. I have big respect for Pep Guardiola and City's style of football; they played fantastic football and were a top class opponent for us.”

Despite City securing six Premier League crowns in seven seasons, Klopp holds a slight advantage in his overall head-to-head record with Guardiola. The two legendary coaches faced each other on 30 occasions in all competitions, with the 59-year-old earning 12 victories to his rival’s 11.

> “I will sleep better [when Klopp goes]. The games we play before against Liverpool were almost a nightmare,” Guardiola said about Klopp choosing to leave Liverpool in 2024. “Of course he will be missed. It was a shock [to hear the news]. I felt when I heard it that a part of Man City … we will lose something. We cannot define our period here without him … without Liverpool. Impossible.

> “They have been our biggest rivals. And personally he [Klopp] has been the best rival I ever had in my life – in Dortmund when I was in Bayern, then here. I think the Premier League are going to miss him – the charisma, the personality and especially the way his teams play.”

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