Pep Guardiola reportedly called former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to seek advice about his former assistant Pep Lijnders.

Lijnders served as the assistant coach under the legendary German manager Jurgen Klopp from 2018 to 2024.

While at Liverpool, he played a key role in helping the Merseyside club secure the Premier League (2019/20), the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the FA Cup, and the Carabao Cup twice.

A few days ago, Pep Lijnders joined as Guardiola’s assistant coach at Manchester City on a two-year deal (one-year guaranteed, with an option to extend for another year).

Former Man City star set to join Pep Guardiola's coaching staff for Club World Cup after backroom reshuffle saw Jurgen Klopp's former assistant Pep Lijnders recruited	Pep Lijnders breaks Jurgen Klopp promise to join Pep Guardiola at Man City	Jurgen Klopp 'held Pep Ljinders talks' with Pep Guardiola after falling-out at Liverpool

According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, Guardiola personally called Klopp to ask about Lijnders’ contribution during Liverpool’s golden era, and the former Reds manager reportedly gave positive feedback about his long-time assistant.

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Arguably, the two greatest managers in modern-day football, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, shared one of the fiercest rivalries in English football between 2016 and 2024.

The German tactician took charge at Liverpool in 2015, while Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City a year later in 2016.

Their rivalry even started before the Premier League, when Klopp managed Borussia Dortmund and Guardiola was at Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

The head-to-head record between them was always tight.

Klopp won 12 matches, and Guardiola won 11 out of the 30 clashes between them (stats via Transfermarkt).

Guardiola has claimed six Premier League titles, while Klopp has secured just one.

But every season, their teams pushed each other to the limit.

As the City boss said during Klopp’s final season at Liverpool in 2024: “I am a little bit… he’s an absolutely incredible manager and I know — I don’t know him closely — but he’s an incredible person.

But I wish him all the best.”

He also added: “I think the Premier League is going to miss his charisma, personality, and the way his teams play.”

There was always mutual respect between the two managers, and Guardiola’s call to Klopp about Lijnders is yet another reflection of that legacy.

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