Pep Guardiola hails ‘amazing’ Liverpool manager choice and refutes Jürgen Klopp’s leaving assertion

According to a story from Liverpool, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has claimed that Liverpool’s loss of Jürgen Klopp will not make things easier for his team next season. The Spaniard also praised Xabi Alonso, who is a strong contender to succeed the German due to his outstanding performance with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

“Of course, Liverpool will hire — I’m pretty sure — a good manager, but lose an exceptional manager,” Guardiola said during the embargoed section of his press conference ahead of facing Luton Town in the FA Cup (via City Xtra). “The influence in Liverpool’s organization and on the team is obvious, it’s there.

“But I see Arsenal, and I see what is going to happen with (Manchester) United, and Tottenham will be stronger, Aston Villa, look what happened in Newcastle and next season will be better because they will learn about what happened and what it means to play every three days during 11 months. “They were not used to it in the past, it’s the first time, and you have to earn this experience and the decision-making. So absolutely not will it be (easier). Every season is tough, and I think next season will be tougher.”

Guardiola was also asked about Alonso, who appears to be the obvious candidate to replace Klopp at the end of the season. The Manchester City boss coached the Leverkusen manager at Bayern Munich and the pair know each other well.

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“It’s a question for Liverpool, and of course I’m not going to answer, because I don’t know the ideas that they have,” Guardiola continued. “But if you ask me about the job that [Alonso] is doing… honestly, wow! It’s the only team in modern football that’s unbeaten in all competitions and fighting in that way with Bayern Munich there.v

“Now they have the most important part of the season for them. Now they’re in the position that they cannot win the Bundesliga; they can lose the Bundesliga because everybody thinks it’s done. And now is the most difficult thing; it’s not done until it’s done. But WOW, not just the way they play, they didn’t lose one game in Europa League, in Pokal in Germany, and Bundesliga, and the way they’re playing…

“He was such an incredible, top-class player otherwise you cannot play for Liverpool, (Real) Madrid, and after Bayern Munich, and a part of Real Sociedad, you cannot play in these teams if you are not a top-class player, an intelligent one, skills and so on, and look. He took good decisions and I’m so happy for him. He deserves it. He’s a lovely, lovely guy.”