Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are managers whose respect for one another is mutual and whose influence reaches far and wide.
Liverpool legend Klopp led the Reds to their first title of the Premier League era and added a Champions League win for good measure before leaving Anfield last year.
Like the Manchester City manager, Klopp has earned the affections of coaches who’ve worked under him and then gone off into the world of football to pave their own paths.
Manchester City snapped up a highly respected ex-Liverpool coach
In Klopp’s case, the outstanding name is Pep Lijnders. Klopp inherited the Dutchman, now 42, when he replaced Brendan Rodgers at Anfield in 2015. The pair built a formidable connection after Lijnders returned from a spell in charge of NEC.
Lijnders reportedly pledged upon his own departure from Liverpool that his focus would be on his own management career and he would not be working under anyone else in the future.
Klopp and his trusted lieutenant both found their way into Red Bull’s sprawling football operation, Klopp as its Head of Global Soccer and Lijnders, briefly as the manager of Red Bull Salzburg.
He only lasted a few months before he was sacked in December with often dominant Salzburg falling a long way short of expectations.
Guardiola, who is ranked at no.5 in FourFourTwo’s list of the greatest managers ever, offered a route back into the Premier League with Manchester City. While Ljinders has had to abandon his apparent promise, Klopp was consulted according to Guardiola.
“I suggested I was thinking about Pep [Ljinders] and [Klopp] gave me his high opinion,” Guardiola told the media ahead of Man City’s Club World Cup campaign.
“After, I took time to reflect. I was in touch with Pep. I asked permission from Jurgen, of course. I didn’t want to interfere. I asked if it would be a problem and he said absolutely not.
“After one or two days we decided yes.”
Guardiola’s assistants, coaches and players have taken his influence elsewhere in the game and it’s an impressive list.
As well as the likes of Vincent Kompany, Xabi Alonso and Xavi serving as players under Guardiola’s guidance, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca are both children of the Guardiolic diaspora.
Alonso’s successor at Bayer Leverkusen, former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, was Bayern Munich’s B-team manager during Guardiola’s time in Bavaria.
After the Club World Cup, the Peps will turn their attention to Manchester City’s campaign in the Premier League. They will get underway with a televised visit to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, August 16.
