Only five players have had the unique experience of playing under both the current Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, and the departing Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp. This special connection between the two elite coaches will come to a culmination on Sunday as they face each other for the final time in the Premier League.
As Klopp bids farewell to Liverpool at the end of the season, the matchup holds immense significance, with Merseyside eager to send him off with a second Premier League title. However, Manchester City, led by Guardiola, stands as a formidable obstacle to this aspiration, aiming to secure a historic fourth-successive Premier League title and a potential double treble.
Beyond the three points at stake, the weekend encounter holds the legacies of both managers in the balance. The build-up is inevitably filled with comparisons between Guardiola and Klopp, emphasizing the rarity of players who can truly assess the methods of these two distinguished coaches.
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Remarkably, only five individuals have played under both Klopp and Guardiola. Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski transitioned from Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund to Guardiola’s Bayern Munich, while Thiago Alcantara and Xherdan Shaqiri played under Guardiola at Bayern before joining Liverpool under Klopp. City legend Ilkay Gundogan, Guardiola’s first captain after a successful spell at Dortmund under Klopp, stands as another unique bridge between the two managerial giants.
Gundogan, expressing his admiration for both coaches, highlighted Guardiola’s profound influence on his understanding of football. He acknowledged that, before joining Manchester City, he realized he knew little about the game compared to what he learned during seven years of Pep’s tutelage.
The German midfielder emphasized Klopp’s distinctive man-management skills during his early years at Dortmund, where the coach acted as a supportive figure and friend. In contrast, Gundogan recognized Guardiola’s impact on him personally and on the team, attributing special importance to the intricate details of the game imparted by the Catalan coach.
Gundogan’s departure from City last summer was marked by a heartfelt acknowledgment of Guardiola’s support, emphasizing the coach’s pivotal role in bringing him to the club. Despite having the chance to reunite with Klopp at Liverpool, Gundogan chose to move on, citing the desire for a new challenge and the dream of working with Guardiola.
In recounting his decision, Gundogan recalled the crucial phone call with Guardiola during a challenging period with Dortmund, affirming City’s commitment to waiting for him. This gesture, along with Guardiola’s coaching philosophy, played a significant role in Gundogan’s decision to join Manchester City.
In reflecting on his football journey, Gundogan admitted his admiration for Klopp as a person and manager but expressed the need for a change, leading him to opt for a move to City over Liverpool. The combination of Guardiola’s coaching style and the allure of Manchester City made the decision a perfect fit for Gundogan, concluding a chapter of seven fruitful years at the Etihad.