Arne Slot Reflects on Pep Guardiola Ahead of Liverpool vs Manchester City Match

Liverpool: Arne Slot was excited about watching his former club play. He tuned in on Tuesday and felt both personal and professional interest. “Hearing the Feyenoord fans singing my name was a huge compliment,” he said. It showed that the fans still appreciated him after he left.

The team Slot built surprised everyone by coming back against Manchester City. They were down 3-0 but managed to tie the game. “As a Feyenoord fan, I could hardly believe it,” Slot said. He was amazed to see such a comeback in a European Cup match.

At first, it seemed like City would win easily. But then, they lost control, and the score changed from 3-1 to 3-3. “This has never happened before in the Champions League,” Slot noted. He reached out to congratulate some friends but kept the conversation light.

Slot is looking forward to meeting Pep Guardiola for the first time at Anfield. He has learned a lot from Guardiola’s style of play. While Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp had a famous rivalry, Slot has never faced Guardiola directly. “With Feyenoord, we never reached the later stages of the Champions League,” he explained.

If Liverpool wins, they could go 11 points ahead of City. Slot sees Guardiola as a major influence on his coaching style. “Watching Guardiola’s teams is always enjoyable,” he said. He admires how Guardiola’s teams play and the joy they bring to fans.

Guardiola is known for his innovative ideas in football. Slot is intrigued by how Guardiola thinks about the game. “He has come up with new ideas, like using inverted full-backs,” Slot explained. He appreciates Guardiola’s clear playing style and interesting game plans.

Guardiola’s Barcelona also shaped Slot’s understanding of football. When Guardiola took over in 2008, Slot was a player at Sparta Rotterdam. He was already thinking about coaching and how to improve his game.

“Playing made me realize which passes worked and which didn’t,” he recalled. Watching Barcelona confirmed his thoughts about successful plays. “It helped me develop my own style of play,” he said.

Many of Guardiola’s ideas come from Dutch football, influenced by Johan Cruyff. However, Slot learned from different footballing schools. Unlike Guardiola, he never met Cruyff. Klopp was influenced by Arrigo Sacchi, but Slot’s journey is unique.

“It’s hard to say where I fit in,” he admitted. He watched Cruyff’s Barcelona as a child but had limited access to games. Both Cruyff and Sacchi’s teams played with high pressure, a style still seen today.

Liverpool and City share similar playing styles. Now, after learning from Guardiola, Slot faces him from the opposite side. This weekend, he has a chance to enjoy the game with fans cheering for him.

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