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PEP GUARDIOLA ADMITS JURGEN KLOPP RIVALRY LEFT A VOID: ‘I MISS HIM’

Pep Guardiola marks his 1,000th managerial game against Liverpool, the "perfect" rival. The Man City boss admits he misses his old foe Jurgen Klopp, crediting their rivalry for pushing him to new heights.

Pep Guardiola Admits  Jurgen Klopp Rivalry Left a Void: ‘I Miss Him’
Pep’s Heartfelt Words on His Old Rival - (Image: Getty Images)

In the 1,000th game of his managerial career, Pep Guardiola acknowledges that he misses Jurgen Klopp as he gets ready to play his fiercest rival's former team.

But as he approaches four figures with a visit from the Premier League's defending champions on Sunday, the Manchester City manager believes there can be no more appropriate opponent than Liverpool.

Before Klopp left the Anfield hotseat last year, Guardiola enjoyed several title battles with the German manager.

The Spaniard considers those fights to be among the high points of his illustrious career, which has included trophy-filled nine years at City, as well as successful stints at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

"If I were to pick one rival for this personal milestone, that I want to share with many others, they would be the best," stated Guardiola, the six-time Premier League champion and Champions League champion with City.

"I have been in this country longer than ever before. Naturally, Barcelona had a huge influence on my life as a ballboy, football player, manager, and so on, and Bayern was also a fantastic move.

However, Liverpool—especially with Jurgen—has been this nation's fiercest foe, and to be honest, it could not be better. That is what fate decreed, and it is good to live with it.

"I believe we respected one another, whether it was on Pep's or Jurgen's side. I felt that Jurgen was a big part of my life, and I miss him.

"I learned a lot from him, including how much I need to think, work, and do to improve it to defeat that guy."

In the 999 games he has managed since taking over Barcelona B in 2007, Guardiola has won 715 of them.

At a press conference on Friday, Guardiola declared, "The numbers are outrageous." "I do not care how many, but when you reach a milestone and see your accomplishments, including your averages and victories outside of the Premier League and Champions League,

"In Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and here, we have accomplished amazing feats. It is really hard to get there.

"I would not make it if I started over. There are too many games, not enough losses, and perhaps we can carry on on Sunday.

Guardiola acknowledges that without having some excellent players at his disposal, he would not have had the success he has.

"I have said that a thousand million times," he said. Although it appears to be fake humility, it is the truth.

"How does it happen that this percentage surpasses 70% of victories? Because you are with the players I had in Barcelona, Munich, and Manchester City, it is possible. No more secrets.

"After that, it takes a lot of hard work—a lot of love, passion, devotion, and tenacity that no one can beat me."

Before answering more humbly, Guardiola joked that those who say he is the greatest of all time are "absolutely right."

"I never began to think I want to be the best," he stated. I do not mind losing.

BRUNO SALTOR OFFICIALLY JOINS TOTTENHAM AS ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE NORTH LONDON DERBY

Tottenham appoints Bruno Saltor! Discover the new coaching team under Igor Tudor and the departures following Thomas Frank's exit.

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Tottenham Confirm Bruno Saltor as Assistant Coach Under Igor Tudor

Tottenham Hotspur just shook up their coaching staff, bringing in Bruno Saltor, a guy who’s worked with Chelsea and West Ham in the past.

Saltor’s stepping in alongside interim boss Igor Tudor until the season wraps up. Spurs let go of Thomas Frank earlier this month, and, like Manchester United, they’ve decided to go with a temporary setup for now and figure out the bigger picture in the summer.

Tudor, who’s managed clubs like Marseille, Lazio, and Juventus, is set to take charge for the first time this weekend in the North London derby against Arsenal. Saltor will be in the dugout for his first Spurs match, too.

If you’ve followed Saltor’s career, you might know he’s often worked with Graham Potter. That’s how he ended up at both Chelsea and West Ham. When Potter left Chelsea in 2023, Saltor took over as interim head coach. His one match in charge ended in a 0-0 draw with Liverpool. Frank Lampard replaced him soon after, and Saltor stayed on as part of the coaching staff until Mauricio Pochettino arrived, at which point he moved on. He later reunited with Potter at West Ham but left when Potter did in September.

Tottenham’s official statement confirmed the news: “Following the arrival of Igor Tudor as Head Coach until the end of the season, we can now confirm the appointment of three additional coaches to our Men’s First Team coaching staff. We welcome Bruno Saltor as Igor's assistant coach." Born in El Masnou, Spain, Saltor started his playing career in his home country before joining Brighton in 2012. He made 235 appearances there over seven years, then moved into coaching with the Seagulls after retiring in 2019. Since then, he’s picked up experience at Chelsea and West Ham.

Along with Saltor’s appointment, Spurs also announced some departures. Justin Cochrane, John Heitinga, and Chris Haslam are all leaving the coaching staff after Frank’s exit. The club thanked them for their efforts and wished them well.

GLASNER OUT? CRYSTAL PALACE CONSIDERING IMMEDIATE EXIT FOR BOSS AFTER DISMAL EUROPEAN DRAW

Oliver Glasner’s exit is imminent! Discover why Robbie Keane has emerged as the favorite to lead Crystal Palace out of crisis.

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Odds crash on Robbie Keane becoming the next Crystal Palace manager.

Oliver Glasner was supposed to stick around at Crystal Palace until the end of the season. That was the plan, anyway. But after another rough run of results, his exit could come a lot sooner.

Thursday night in Bosnia should’ve been nothing special, just a routine first leg against a team Palace should handle easily, with the real test back at Selhurst Park next week. Instead, a 1-1 draw against Zrinjski Mostar turned into another mess in a season that’s gotten uglier by the week for Glasner and Palace.

The travelling fans didn’t hide how they felt.

Palace have only managed one win in their last 15 games. That’s not a blip; it’s a full-on collapse, and it looks like Glasner’s time might be up even faster than everyone thought.

People at the top of the club have started openly asking if letting Glasner finish out his contract is actually hurting more than helping. He said back in January that he’d leave when his deal was up in the summer, but with results falling off a cliff and morale at rock bottom, those discussions have picked up speed.

Word is, Palace have already started looking for Glasner’s replacement, planning for a summer hire. But now, it looks like they might bring in his successor right away.

One name has shot straight to the top of the list: Robbie Keane.

TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook says Palace are considering Keane as a short-term fix if Glasner goes before the season ends. Keane’s reputation has soared lately. He won the Israeli Premier League with Maccabi Tel Aviv, then took the Hungarian league title in his first season at Ferencváros.

His win rate at Maccabi was over 73 per cent. He’s also done time as an assistant coach at Leeds and Middlesbrough. People who’ve played for him, like Ireland’s Callum O’Dowda, rave about him. O’Dowda said, “As soon as he opens his mouth, you want to listen. It’s phenomenal, really. On the coaching side,e he has been good.”

For now, Keane is still in charge at Ferencvaros, who are still in the Europa League, so prying him away won’t be simple.

Palace sit 13th in the Premier League, eight points clear of the relegation zone, but that gap feels less safe with every week they fail to win.

Tottenham even considered Keane as an interim manager before they went with Igor Tudor.

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