‘So he’s admitting Pep is better?’, ‘Total respect’ – Many fans react as Jurgen Klopp makes major Guardiola and Man City admission

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Jurgen Klopp insists he feels no frustration with having to compete with Manchester City for the biggest prizes in football at Liverpool.

Having already won the Carabao Cup at the end of February, Klopp’s side remain in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple and will contest the FA Cup final with Chelsea on May 14 after a two-legged Champions League semi with Villarreal inside the next fortnight.

But having knocked City out of the FA Cup at Wembley last week to end their hopes of a treble, there is still the prospect of missing out on both the Champions League and Premier League to Pep Guardiola’s men next month.

Liverpool collected 97 points three years ago but still finished as runners-up to City and the league leaders are looking for their fourth title in five five seasons at the Etihad this term.

Klopp admits it would be easy to lament City’s excellence in recent years when considering his own trophy haul at Anfield but the Liverpool boss says he is simply ready to give it his all in pursuit of a first-ever quadruple in English football.

“I know what you mean and I think I’ve said it before that if Man City were not there we probably would have won more at least, that’s how it is,” Klopp said. “If Pep would not be the manager he is then I would maybe have won one or two more with Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final maybe, but no. It’s not at all frustrating.

“I have respected all my life when somebody was better than me and that is easy because in my life so many people are better than me. When I was in school, I never hated the guy who was the best in the class, never.

“I think life makes absolute sense that you really learn to accept your own strengths and weaknesses. Maybe work on your weaknesses, a little bit on your strengths, these kinds of things, it’s absolutely fine.

“I feel a little bit for our people that they could not celebrate a little bit more often but that’s it. Second place, for me, I will not look back on my career and think: ‘ah we were only second’. I am not that person, so I enjoy the journey a lot and if you do that, you have more good days than bad days.”

Klopp added: “There might be a day when we don’t win, I don’t know. But all the other days leading to that day were really good and if you don’t appreciate them then you’re making a mistake because your life will be less enjoyable.

“We probably won’t get the respect we deserve [if we don’t finish 1st] because the world is obsessed with first place. It’s fine but they get enough respect. But it’s really funny to talk about it now because most of the time we talk [with the media] about winning everything and now we speak about winning nothing, so let’s just try to get something out of this season and then we will see.

“But I know so far this is an outstanding season. It’s an outstanding season if we win nothing and it’s still an outstanding season if we go to the Champions League final. But no, we will not get the same respect if we win nothing else but that is the nature of the game.”

These Klopp’s comments were shared on Twitter by City Xtra and it attracted plenty of attention from Man City supporters.

“So he’s admitting pep is better?”
Credit: @GeniusMo10

“Total respect ✊.”
Credit: @starboyw90

“Excellent comment, honesty is the best policy..”
Credit: @GoldenRasi3

“He definitely cried when saying this but fair play to him for being honest.”
Credit: @MNCTed

“Pep has always been there to out do him that must really get under his skin.”
Credit: @Erling_Era

“So Klopp can admit that Pep is better than him but the 1000s of LFC twitter accounts fight everyday to prove opposite?.”
Credit: @alwaystiredbro

“Now this is a guy who knows his limits… Liverpool fans take note.”
Credit: @Costa_CE_1

“Thats why Pep will always be the superior manager.”
Credit: @canceloimpact

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