Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has revealed who he prefers between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
On Sunday, Liverpool take on Manchester City in a top-of-the-table clash that could decide the course of this season’s Premier League title.
However, the encounter holds even greater significance given it could be the last time legendary managers Klopp and Guardiola have their teams go toe-to-toe.
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In January, Klopp stunned the football world by announcing he would leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
In his nine years on Merseyside, the German has led Liverpool to glory in the Champions League, FA Cup and League club while in 2020 he ended the club’s 30-year wait for a Premier League title.
However, it is impossible to assess Klopp’s legacy at Liverpool without thinking of Guardiola’s Manchester City, with the two sides having dominated the past half-decade of English football.
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Lewandowski is among the few players to have enjoyed the privilege of playing under both coaches. The Poland international netted 102 times in 186 appearances for Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund before scoring 67 times in 100 appearances under Guardiola at Bayern Munich.
And when asked to name who he preferred, Lewandowski opted for Klopp over his Spanish counterpart.
Speaking to ESPN in 2020 the Poland international said: "I think Jurgen Klopp [is my favourite] and after that Pep Guardiola. 100 per cent. [Klopp] has two faces.
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“You can see that he is kind of like a father, but the second part is like a coach, a manager.
"He can tell you everything - and I'm not speaking about the good things - about the bad things. Also for [players], he is a huge motivation.
"He makes this perfect because he knows where there is this line where he can [push you] more or a little bit less. His performance as a coach is amazing, but not only as a coach but also as a man."
Topics: Liverpool, Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Robert Lewandowski, Premier League, Football
Chris Byfield