Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola's managerial careers go hand in hand but both men snubbed one another when asked to name the toughest coach they've come up against.
Mourinho was a translator under Bobby Robson when Guardiola was a player at Barcelona and they've gone on to become great rivals in the dug-out across La Liga, the Premier League and the Champions League.
Things got particularly spicy in the El Clasicos during their period and they've almost had a Messi-Ronaldo relationship in terms of raising one another's game.
Yet for Guardiola, his toughest opponent has been Jurgen Klopp.
He first came across the German in the Bundesliga when the pair were in charge of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and they have both had a transformative effect on English football since taking the reins at Liverpool and Manchester City.
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Klopp's Liverpool side finished just a point behind Guardiola's treble-winners in 2018/19 before going on to win their first league title for 30 years in stunning fashion last term.
"The toughest opponent I've ever faced in my career is this Liverpool from last year and this one," Guardiola said when asked by DAZN, as per Goal.
"If you let yourself be dominated, they lock you in the area and you can't escape. When you dominate them, they run into space like no one else. They are very fast going backwards. They are very strong strategically. Their players have great mental strength. [Klopp] is the rival who has made me think about how to beat him the most."
Mourinho's selection is a slightly left-field one. He opted for the experienced Gian Piero Gasperini as the man who gave him the most trouble.
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The 62-year-old has managed the likes of Genoa, Inter, Palermo and Atalanta - guiding the latter to the Champions League quarter finals in an entertaining first ever campaign last season.
Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Jose Mourinho, Football, Pep Guardiola, Premier League, Jurgen Klopp
