Klopp wants to extend Guardiola rivalry to the golf and padel courts

Jurgen Klopp is set to depart as a Liverpool hero at the end of the season, bringing an end to a wonderful nine-year spell in charge at Anfield. 

He is hoping to sign off with a four-trophy haul, with his side already crowned Carabao Cup champions and in the hunt for the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Europa League. 

Sunday’s 1-1 draw in the league with Manchester City keeps the Reds in with a great chance of claiming a second title under Klopp with Arsenal and City the other teams competing for the top prize. 

Klopp and City boss Pep Guardiola have enjoyed a thrilling rivalry spanning over 11 years since they first locked horns as managers when in charge of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich respectively. 

No manager has faced Guardiola more often and no manager has emerged on the winning side more often either. 

Their rivalry has come to define the last few years of competition in the Premier League too with only Klopp’s Liverpool capable of beating Guardiola’s team to the title since 2018. 

It’s a battle that’s left a mark on both managers, exemplified with a warm embrace between them at the end of the game on Sunday. 

Klopp wants to enjoy Pep rivalry on the padel court

Klopp was in no mood to share what exactly was exchanged between the two but did hint that their days of rivalry are not over, and that he’s looking forward to taking on the Spaniard in other sports in the years to come. 

“First of all, this is private,” he said when quizzed on what messages were swapped. “Even when it’s a football stadium, and nothing that would change the world: that we both respect each other a lot, and probably after the career will become somehow friends. 

“He’s a golfer, I’m not a golfer, I play padel but he is Spanish so he might play padel as well, who knows? There will be something. If we meet we will have great talks about sensational football games, incredible stuff, but we said it now often enough and I think it’s really obvious as well: they respect each other a lot.”