Man City vs Liverpool: Pep Guardiola responds to Jurgen Klopp claim he’s the best manager in the world

Pep Guardiola has responded to Jurgen Klopp’s claim he is the best manager in the world, and has said the Liverpool manager’s assessment is incorrect.

Klopp opined in his pre-match press conference ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Liverpool, that Guardiola is the ‘best coach in the world’ and dismissed suggestions his ‘overthinking’ comments from earlier this week should be taken seriously.

Of course, the pair will meet on Sunday in their potentially title-deciding clash at the Etihad, and the build-up to the game, Guardiola was asked what he made of Klopp’s glowing assessment.

Th 51-year-old insisted he is not the best manager on the planet, instead attributing much of his success to the coaching staff and players he has worked with.

“I don’t know. I didn’t become a manager to be the best, honestly,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

“I’m not, thank you so much, but I’m not. I would like to tell him I’m the best, but I’m not. If we had success it is because of my staff, incredible teams, a lot of money, like our opponents like to hear, and a lot of work and a lot of talented players. Still I have the process of learning, and I became a manager to be on the pitch.”

Both managers have spoken of their huge admiration for the other in the build-up to Sunday’s Premier League clash, and Guardiola said his counterpart of Merseyside has helped to raise City’s standards over the last few years.

“I think Jurgen makes world football a better place to be. He’s a huge competitor but I think it’s good,” explained the former Barcelona manager.

“I try to have a good relationship with all the managers. I learned it's better to have a relationship with them. He knows, we spoke together in Germany, and about my admiration for what he does, the message and the way his teams play.

“He's a good guy and I don't have any problems with him, absolute not. And he's said many times that we're a rich club so the wine will be perfect, high quality.”