Klopp and Guardiola promise to kick each other’s butts next season
Fresh from winning his first Champions League crown, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola that he is looking forward to kicking his butt again next season.
Guardiola's Citizens pipped Klopp's Reds to the English Premier League title by just one point last month, but Liverpool claimed club football's biggest prize yesterday morning (Singapore time) by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano.
After the match, Klopp revealed that Guardiola had congratulated him over the phone.
Said the German: "A second ago, I had Pep Guardiola on the phone.
"Our head physio (Lee Nobes) worked for Man City at the beginning of the season, but he wanted to win the Champions... no, it's a joke.
"And we promised each other already that we will kick [EACH OTHER'S](each other's) butts next year again. We will go for everything and let's see if we get something."
Klopp was in an understandably exuberant mood yesterday, breaking into song in the middle of an interview with Norwegian broadcaster Viasport Fotball.
In reference to the fact he had lost his last six cup finals before winning the Reds their sixth Champions League crown, the 51-year-old did a rendition of Salt-N-Pepa's Let's Talk About Sex, singing: "Let's talk about six, baby.
"Let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be.
"Let's talk about six."
Mohamed Salah may not have lost as many showpieces as his manager, but his experience in last season's final in Kiev has stuck with him.
The Egyptian, who opened the scoring via the penalty spot before Divock Origi sealed the tie three minutes from time, left the field in last season's final defeat by Real Madrid in tears after just 31 minutes due to a shoulder injury.
Said Salah: "I looked at the picture from last year before the game
"I was very disappointed that I got injured and went out after 30 minutes and we lost the game. It was something to motivate me to win.
"I didn't look at the picture for a long time.
"You can feel what... can beat you, so I just looked at it one time and said: 'OK, let's go'."
The victory in Madrid was Liverpool's first European triumph since 2005 and their sixth Champions League title, a record bettered only by Real Madrid and AC Milan.
Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who has won the Champions League twice, said the Reds could very well reach the final again next season.
He said on beIN Sports: "Why (not) Liverpool, with this good team, with this good spirit, with this good empathy.
"The club, the manager, the players, the fans. Why not a third?"
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