Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has named Jurgen Klopp as his “main rival” as he prepares to lock horns with his old adversary’s former club Liverpool in the 1,000th game of his illustrious managerial career. The Catalan has been reflecting on his famous battles with the German ahead of achieving what he describes as an “insane” milestone on Sunday.
City and Liverpool have shared fierce rivalry in recent seasons
In a sparkling managerial career which has spanned 18 years across spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now City, Guardiola will take charge of his 1,000th game as a head coach this weekend.
It is rather fitting that the 54-year-old should achieve the landmark against Liverpool, who have proven to be his biggest nemesis during his trophy-laden stint in the City dugout.
Currently in his 10th season at City, Guardiola has won six Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium, pipping Klopp’s second-placed Liverpool in the 2018-19 season and the 2021-22 campaign.
And in two of the seasons in which Guardiola failed to get his hands on the league title, in 2019-20 and 2024-25, Liverpool emerged victorious, first with Klopp and then with current boss Arne Slot last season.
AdvertisementAFPGuardiola picks Klopp over Mourinho as his biggest nemesis
And while Guardiola also enjoyed a famous rivalry with Jose Mourinho, when the two managers were in charge of Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, he has chosen Klopp as the one counterpart who has pushed him the most.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s historic game, Guardiola said: “If I were to choose one rival for this personal milestone, that I want to share with many people, they [Klopp’s Liverpool] would be the best.
“I've been longer than ever in this country. Of course Barcelona, the impact on my life as a ballboy, football player, manager, and so on is obvious and Bayern was an incredible step as well.
“But Liverpool, especially with Jurgen, have been the biggest rivals in this country and it could not be better, to be honest. So destiny decided that and it's nice to live it.”
Catalan admits he 'misses' competing against ex-Liverpool boss
Such has been Klopp’s impact on Guardiola – with the pair having also faced off during their spells in charge of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern respectively – that the City head coach admits he “misses” competing against the 58-year-old, who has been out of work since leaving Liverpool in the summer of 2024.
“In terms of Jurgen's side or Pep's side, I think we respected each other,” Guardiola added. “I had the feeling that Jurgen gave me a lot and I miss him.
“He gave me a lot in sense of, to beat that guy, how much I have to think and work and do it, to make it better.”
AFPGuardiola reflects on 'insane' achievement of 1,000 managerial games
And reflecting specifically on his incredible longevity as a manager, which is all the more remarkable considering he has held three of the most pressured jobs in football – with Barcelona, Bayern and City all among Europe’s elite – Guardiola has opened about the “difficulties” that come with life on the touchline.
He said: “The numbers are insane. I’m not living thinking of how many, but when you have the milestone and you read what you have done, the victories, the averages, not just in the Premier League, in the Champions League.
“We have done incredible things in Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here. It's so difficult to reach it.”