Guardiola about Klopp: "He gave me headaches"

He had big duels with Jose Mourinho during his Barcelona days, and crossed paths with Carlo Ancelotti in both the Premier League and Champions League — but no one in nearly two decades of coaching has troubled Pep Guardiola like Jurgen Klopp.

That’s not just an outsider’s impression — the Manchester City boss made it crystal clear that the German kept him up at night.

"Klopp always gave me headaches. Before Jurgen, I had never faced a coach whose games I studied so much. My staff and I would stay up late trying to figure out how to stop him. There were moments when I thought, ‘I’ve cracked it,’ only to wake up the next morning feeling broken again," the Catalan coach revealed during a video call from Manchester for a UEFA Pro License course.

The Guardiola-Klopp rivalry began in Germany when Pep managed Bayern and Klopp led Borussia Dortmund, and it then reached even greater heights under the Premier League spotlight. Despite their fierce competition, both coaches have always spoken respectfully of each other, often acknowledging how they pushed one another to grow.

"Liverpool under Klopp was the biggest challenge of my career. The Reds were by far the toughest opponent — because of their style, transitions, direct football… they attacked with so many players."

When you tally it all up, it’s no surprise Pep ranks Klopp as his toughest opponent. The two met 30 times, with Klopp narrowly edging the head-to-head: 12 wins to Guardiola’s 11, with 7 draws.

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"I’m grateful for the rivalry we built, and for the trophies we both won, which came from the incredible quality of each other’s teams. Every Premier League title we won while Klopp’s Liverpool were our main challengers is City’s greatest achievement — because of the level his team reached. I’ve never faced a tougher opponent," Guardiola concluded.