The Spanish military leader highly appreciated the opponent who forced him to suffer the most defeats in 29 matches.

When discussing contemporary coaches, fans often think about the rivalry between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho. As two talented strategists, this duo once fought fiercely when leading Barca and Real Madrid, or later when standing on both sides of the battle line in Manchester.

However, when receiving a question from Sky Sports recently, Pep did not choose Mourinho as his biggest rival in his career. Instead, the Man City captain immediately mentioned Jurgen Klopp – the German military leader with rich personality.

Pep rates Klopp as the toughest opponent. Photo: Internet.

“Firstly because we have faced each other many times, when he led Dortmund and here.” Pep explained. “Secondly, because Klopp beats me often, the matches are always a big challenge. I admire Klopp very much because of the way his teams play, the style of play is so attractive and consistent.

We respect each other. Of course there are arguments and I don’t like being beaten by him, but Klopp is my biggest rival based on the number of encounters, the level of difficulty and the joy I enjoy when my team win.”

Pep praised Klopp’s talent. Photo: Internet.

According to statistics from Transfermarkt, Klopp is the coach with the most wins against Pep. Through 29 times the teams under both teams clashed, the Liverpool captain won 12 matches, received 11 defeats, and the remaining 6 times were inconclusive.