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What's the story?
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola called him after the Reds won the Champions League by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final on Saturday night and said that the Citizens are eagle to battle it out with the Merseyside giants again next season.
In case you didn't know...
Manchester City were pushed to their limit by Liverpool in the Premier League this season, with the Citizens ultimately winning the title on the final matchday by a solitary point. Guardiola's all-conquering team also won the League Cup and the FA Cup as they became the first English team to lift the domestic treble. However, Manchester City faltered in the UEFA Champions League as they were knocked out of the quarter-finals by fellow Premier League outfit Spurs. On the other hand, after losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid last season, Liverpool and Klopp finally managed to win the coveted trophy by beating Spurs in the final in Madrid last weekend.
The heart of the matter
Following Liverpool's Champions League triumph, Klopp spoke about his convesation with Guardiola.
"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] b*tts next year again. We will go for everything and let’s see if we get something.”
Guardiola has always spoken with great respect about Klopp and his Liverpool side, with the Spaniard remarking last April about how both City and Liverpool deserved the Premier League title.
"It's in our hands. It's incredible what we have done so far. Both Liverpool and us deserve the title. The team that loses should not have regret."
What's next?
It was Liverpool's first Champions League triumph since their famous win over AC Milan in the 2005 final.
