Pep Guardiola in tears after hearing what Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said about him

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has thanked Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp in an emotional parting message.

The two sides battled at the highest level for over five years as the pair rekindled their rivalry, which ignited in the Bundesliga, in the Premier League. City pipped the Reds to the summit of England's top flight by the smallest of margins before Klopp ended their stranglehold in 2020.

Following his bombshell announcement in January, Sunday marked the German's final game in charge at Anfield. Liverpool capped an emotional week and afternoon with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, meanwhile down East Lancashire Road, City picked up their fourth successive Premier League crown - clinching the title after a 3-1 win over West Ham United.

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Guardiola was asked about Klopp promoting an emotional response from the Spaniard. "I will miss him a lot," he began. "Jurgen played a really important part in my life, he brought me to another level as a manager, I think we respect each other incredibly.

"I just want to say thank you very much for the kind words but behind me, there are a lot of things that this club provided and give to me. Otherwise alone I cannot do it, I'm humble enough to understand completely that. He helped me many times with his team, a big competitor in my life.

"There are many times where I didn't discover the way I played to punish him that I can find with other teams. With him, it's been so difficult.

"I wish him all the best and hopefully his final game was special for him, he deserves it. He made Liverpool apart of it, recognise his stamp, incredible, incredible, pride of being a Liverpool fan. People say, 'ah, how many titles you win is better' of course it's important but it's not about that.

"They are personalities, when they arrive in places, they stay forever. Jurgen and Liverpool, I'm sorry, the Shankly's, Paisley's, Jurgen will be there."

Despite Liverpool fading in the Premier League title race, the farewell tour for Klopp ended with silverware after beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.

Reflecting on his rivalry with City, Klopp spoke highly of his opposite number despite the dark clouds looming over East Manchester amid their 115 charges from the Premier League for financial breaches.

The departing Liverpool boss said: "Everybody knows about the 115 charges, but I have no clue what that means, I only know the number. Whatever has happened at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world - and that is really important.

‌“If you put any other manager in that club, they don't win the league four times in a row. That's down to him and his boys. Does that mean they can do what they want? No. But I don't know what they did - if they did anything - and I'm not here to say they have.

‌“We will see. Of course, I would like to know (if City are guilty) one day. Everyone wants to know. But I will be somewhere else. The quality of Pep makes the difference so I don't worry about these things. We will see. It's not my problem and I am fine with what we have and what we've achieved."