Pep Guardiola described Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool team as a "nightmare" to play against after looking back on his trophy-laden decade at Manchester City. 

Guardiola called time on his successful tenure with the Citizens last Sunday, bowing out with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season. 

The Spaniard brought 20 major trophies to the Etihad Stadium, including six Premier Leagues, while also lifting the EFL Cup and the FA Cup in 2025-26. 

But during his time in England, his rivalry with Klopp's Liverpool team captured the attention of fans across the world, with the two sides going toe-to-toe at the top of the table. 

Guardiola has faced Klopp 30 times in all competitions across his managerial career, more than any other he has faced, winning 11 of those matches and drawing seven (L12). 

Their first encounter came during their respective stints with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, with Klopp winning the German Super Cup 3-0 in July 2013. 

In the Premier League, Liverpool earned 97 points in the 2018-19 campaign, but lost out by a single point to City, though the Reds did win the Champions League that year before lifting their first top-flight title since 1990 the following season. 

Guardiola then won four successive Premier League crowns, narrowly edging Liverpool again in 2021-22 before Klopp departed Anfield two years ago. 

Yet even though City beat Liverpool to the majority of silverware, Guardiola said the opposition were one of the toughest he has ever faced. 

In an interview on Man City's website, Guardiola said: "For the quality of the opponent we faced, we faced a lot, but Liverpool was a nightmare. Every time, it was a nightmare."

Guardiola left City having overseen 593 games in all competitions. Among his current tally, he boasts 416 victories (70.3% win rate) and has seen his team score 1,423 goals. 

He is the only manager to win four English top-flight titles in a row, and the only manager to oversee a 100-point Premier League season (2017-18).

The 55-year-old also has the best points-per-game (2.28) and best win percentage (71%) of any manager to take charge of at least five games in Premier League history.

And despite his success, Guardiola added that he had nothing but respect for Klopp because of their battles over the years, adding that he has plans to meet up with him now the pair have moved on from management.

"It [the relationship] was really good. It has always has been really good, even back in Germany. We faced each other a lot of times when he was at Dortmund," he added. 

"We have not been for dinner once but now it is going to happen. The relationship is one of the things I am proud of the most, I would say.

"They were really, really good first of all. But in the moment when they faced us they know that is the game that is the best of them and the best at Anfield.

"Anfield has a history that no stadium has. Few teams can win in Anfield. It's a really tough place for me for the fact of the way they play, not just for the stadium.

"They were a special team. You sleep one second and they will punish you. The margins like that, it could have happened to us."