Pep Guardiola admits he misses Jurgen Klopp as he prepares to face his great rival’s old club in the 1,000th game of his managerial career.
But the Manchester City boss feels there can be no more fitting opponent than Liverpool as he reaches four figures with a visit from the reigning champions in the Premier League on Sunday.
Guardiola enjoyed a number of title tussles with Klopp before the German stepped away from the Anfield hotseat last year.
The Spaniard ranks those battles among the highlights of a glittering career that has included successful spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich as well as his trophy-laden nine years at City.
Guardiola, winner of six Premier League crowns and the Champions League with City, said: “If I were to choose one rival for this personal milestone, that I want to share with many people, they 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.
“In terms of Jurgen’s side or Pep’s side, I think we respected each other. 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.”
Guardiola has won 715 of the 999 games he has overseen since first being put in charge of Barcelona B in 2007.
“The numbers are insane,” Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday. “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 Premier League, in Champions League…
“We have done incredible things in Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here. Incredible. It’s so difficult to reach it.
“If I started again I would not reach it. It’s too much games, so few defeats and hopefully on Sunday we can continue.”
Guardiola accepts he would not have achieved the success he has without having had some fine players at his disposal.
He said: “I’ve said that a thousand million times. It looks like false humility but that is the reality.
“This percentage, beyond 70 per cent of victories, how does it happen? It can happen because you are in Barcelona, Munich and Man City with the players I had. No more secrets.
“After that, it’s a lot of hard work – a lot – dedication, passion, love, and (determination) that nobody beats me.”
Guardiola joked people who claim he is the best ever are “completely right” before responding in more modest terms.
He said: “I never started to think I want to be the best. I am fine with defeats.”
