Guardiola said in a media interview: "If I had to choose one rival to share this achievement of 1,000 games with, I'd want to share it with many, but Liverpool would be the best. There can't be anything better. The universe has decided so."
He continued: "Listen, if I had to choose one rival to share this achievement of 1,000 games with, I'd want to share it with many, but Liverpool would be the best, especially with Klopp, who has been my biggest rival here. There can't be anything better. The universe has decided so. I've always felt how much we respected each other. Jürgen gave me so much, and I miss him terribly. I said, 'Wow, I've beaten this guy. How much I have to think, work, and improve?' And that's down to Liverpool and ourselves."
Guardiola was asked if he knew how many wins he had in 999 coaching matches: "Of course I know a lot, the numbers are crazy. I'm sorry to tell you that, I'm arrogant and conceited, but they are crazy. If I say that I don't live and think about the number of wins, then when you reach this achievement and read what I have accomplished, you find that we have achieved amazing things. It is difficult to reach this, and if I started again I would not reach this. It is many matches and few defeats compared to a thousand matches, and we hope to continue on Sunday."
Guardiola spoke about facing Liverpool: "We pushed Liverpool to be better and Liverpool pushed us to be better, that's for sure."
Pep emphasized: "The fundamentals are what I believed in deep down in my heart. I never betrayed them once in my career. Making a wrong decision, playing badly, or the opponent being better doesn't mean I feel I did something I never believed in. I always try to end the match by saying that I liked the team's performance."
During his 18 years of coaching, Guardiola has won 40 different titles, including 18 titles with Manchester City, which he has transformed into a formidable force on all levels: local, continental, and international.
