Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confessed he will miss fellow coach and long-time rival Jürgen Klopp as he officially left Liverpool after nearly a decade this weekend.
The German football manager, who ended the Scousers’ 30-year wait for a first-division title and won them two more European cups, departed the club after nine years on Sunday following the final day of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
Having been given an emotional send-off by the Anfield faithful and delivering a heartfelt speech to the city he’s come to call “home”, Guardiola was obviously asked his thoughts on his final chapter in his post-match press conference.
While the focus was obviously on winning a record fourth league title in a row, a visibly emotional Pep did go on to admit, “I will miss him a lot”.
🗣️ "I will miss him a lot. Jurgen has been a really important part of my life."
Pep Guardiola CLOSE TO TEARS talking Jurgen Klopp, & not because his farewell overshadowed Man City winning the league. 😉
Clearly moved by the question and by taking in the years they’ve shared on the touchline, the 53-year-old said of his former Premier League and Bundesliga rival: “Jurgen has been a really important part of my life. He’s [taken] me to another level as a manager. I think we respect each other incredibly”.
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He went on to add, “I have the feeling he’ll be back and I just want to say thank you so much for his words… he knows personally that behind me there a lot of things that this club provides me… he’s helped me with him and he’s been a huge competitor in my life”.
Even speaking prior to the game, Pep was already full of admiration for his opposite number, telling Sky Sports last week that not only will he miss Klopp but going so far as to claim that “football needs him, as well as naming his teams amongst those who he often struggled to unlock.
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Safe to say the home crowd gave him a momentous send-off in his final appearance as the Liverpool manager, though he made certain he’ll be back to visit the city and Anfield again in the future.
Liverpool looked like he might be able to keep his side in the title fight right until the last but it ultimately went on to become a two-horse race, with the Blues beating him and Arsenal to the post once again.
Whether you’re behind ‘enemy lines’ here in Manchester or you’re just curious to hear what he said, you can watch Klopp’s farewell speech in full down below.
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Regardless of the rivalries, you have to admit, it’s been great to watch the two coaches duke it out for the best part of a decade.
We’re sure Pep isn’t the only one in Manchester that’ll miss Klopp. Whoever you support, he’s been a massive character in English football.
Manchester set to host five UEFA EURO 2028 matches – including England’s opening game
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been confirmed to be the host of five matches at the upcoming UEFA EURO tournament in 2028.
This also, crucially, would include England‘s opening match, should they qualify directly.
The joint announcement by Manchester City and Manchester City Council today comes as UEFA has now released key details about the UK & Ireland 2028 competition – which, as it stands, is less than 1,000 days away.
It has been confirmed that the Etihad Stadium – which is known as The City of Manchester Stadium when not relating to Manchester City football club – will host four Group Stage matches across four different groups, offering both local and international football fans the chance to see a range of different national teams in action.
On top of this, Manchester will also be the host a Round of 16 knockout match as the tournament progresses.
UEFA EURO 2028 will kick off at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff on Friday 9 June 2028, culminating in the Final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 9 July 2028.
Across the UK and Ireland, nine stadiums will host matches during the upcoming tournament – with other northern stadiums including Everton Stadium in Liverpool, and St James’ Park over in Newcastle.
More than three million tickets – as sold by UEFA – are set to be available for the tournament, and more information on this will be issued in due course.
Following an independent assessment, UEFA EURO 2028 is expected to generate up to £3.6 billion in socio-economic benefits for the UK and Ireland between 2028 and 2031, with benefits including job creation, regional growth, and direct spending from international visitors.
The countdown has started in Manchester for #EURO2028!
Five matches are scheduled to be played here – including England's opener if they qualify – and more than 300,000 fans will be welcomed to the city in June 2028.
“We’re a city where football runs deep in our DNA, and we’re counting down the days to UEFA Euro 2028.”
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Sport
Man City to open latest Greater Manchester club shop at Trafford Centre
Danny Jones
Manchester City Football Club are set to open another brand-new store at the Trafford Centre, and just in time for Christmas.
With the festive period approaching, plenty of people will be looking to buy the latest shirts and merch of their beloved team, and with the Blues now a bigger brand than ever, they’ve put plenty of time into levelling up the club shop experience.
Their third in Greater Manchester, all told, it’s also set to be one of their largest to date.
Credit: The Manc Group
Although confirmation of the plans came back in October, City have officially announced themselves in the Trafford Centre this month.
With the hoardings going up over on Peel Avenue – the section of the huge mall arguably most well-known for its multi-storey John Lewis department store – they’ll be opening their doors just next to the branch of Waterstones.
In fact, you definitely can’t miss it because not only is there a giant MCFC badge plastered over the windows, but it also happens to be right next to the big Christmas tree.
This comes after sports and streetwear franchises like Gymshark and Urban Outfitters joined the North West tourist attraction, not to mention the massive Zara and Bershka sites that opened recently, as well as other global names like Pop Mart.
An idea of what the new Man City store in the Trafford Centre could look like, based on the Arndale shop. (Credit: The Manc)
Put simply, there’s been plenty of new arrivals this year, and there are several others to come.
Although we’ve not got an exact opening date just yet, the posters displayed across the window simply read “Coming November”, so Cityzens won’t have to wait long.
Furthermore, job vacancies for retail roles working within the upcoming location are already listed on the official Trafford Centre careers page.
Last but not least, there are scheduled be a number of other new openings in the shopping arcade, leisure and entertainment destination, so keep your eyes peeled on socials for more info soon.
Danny Jones -
20th May 2024 
