Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has labelled outgoing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as his "best rival", but believes that the German will eventually return to management at the highest level.
Klopp announced on Friday that he will be vacating his post at Anfield at the end of the season, bringing the curtain down on a memorable eight-and-a-half year spell in charge of the Reds.
The 56-year-old has won a total of six major trophies with Liverpool, but Guardiola's Man City side have been a dominant force in the Premier League with triumphs in four of the last five campaigns.
Klopp got the better of Guardiola in the 2019-20 season, though, and successfully steered Liverpool to their first Premier League title, ending the club's 30-year wait for an English top-flight crown.
Guardiola's rivalry with Klopp goes back to their time in Germany with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively, and the former has won 11, drawn six and lost 12 of his 29 encounters with the latter over an 11-year period.
© Reuters
Asked if he will miss his rivalry with Klopp from next season onwards, Guardiola jokingly replied: "I will sleep better. The games against Liverpool have almost been a nightmare."
"Of course he will be missed," the Catalan boss continued. "I was shocked like everyone. I felt listening to the news that a part of Man City will lose something.
"We cannot define our period together here without him. We cannot define our period without Liverpool. It's impossible. They've been our biggest rival and personally he's been the best rival I've ever had in my life.
"The Premier League are going to miss him, the charisma and his personality. And especially the way his teams play. It's always been a pleasure to respect his approach, how positive it is no matter what. The fans are going to try to win the game. Of course, I wish him all the best. It's always tough, but from now on Liverpool will be tougher."
Guardiola added: "Maybe it's my opinion, he won't admit it, but he will be back. I know it. Maybe in 10 years' time, I don't know, he said he needs to recharge his energy. That's his personality and his energy. He'll be back at the national team, another team, somewhere, I don't know.
"Football needs personalities like him. My dream is I hope we can have dinners together and all the drink we deserve to take."
© Reuters
Guardiola addressed his own future at Man City following their 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday evening, and the 53-year-old has refused to rule out extending his contract beyond the summer of 2025.
Asked if he shares the same tiredness as Klopp, which has played a part in the German's decision to step down as Liverpool boss, Guardiola joked: "You want to sack me? I'm fine.
"I've still got one more year, I want to do it, maybe I'll extend. I'm fine. What we did [in winning the treble] last season, you want more and more? It's not going to happen.
"What is important is just one step at a time. What I feel now is we cannot lose, otherwise Liverpool will leave [us behind in the title race]. We still have the FA Cup, you have to be close [in the Premier League], around the corner is the Champions League."
Guardiola led Man City to a historic treble last season, including the club's first-ever Champions League triumph, and has won a total of 16 trophies during his exceptional eight-year reign at the Etihad Stadium.
Having already celebrated success in the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup this season, the Citizens are now attempting to retain the FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League in the second half of the campaign.
In the Premier League, Man City currently sit second in the table and five points behind leaders Liverpool, but the reigning champions do possess a game in hand on the Reds.
Oliver Thomas
