Leeds United hero Mateusz Klich has opened up on his admiration for Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola and shared details of a brilliant exchange between the two.
Mateusz Klich locked horns with the Manchester City manager four times during his Leeds career after Leeds won promotion to the Premier League.
Now playing for Cracovia in his native Poland, Klich was a firm favourite at Elland Road, establishing himself as a regular under Marcelo Bielsa, who is an important mentor to Guardiola.
Klich admitted that he nearly did not make it under the legendary Argentinian until Victor Orta intervened and convinced Bielsa to give him a chance to prove himself after a difficult start to his career with Leeds.
Now, Klich has explained why he rates Guardiola so highly as a coach and provided an insight into a hilarious exchange between the two.
- READ MORE: Mark Viduka scored his first Leeds United goal in a famous Champions League hammering 25 years ago
Mateusz Klich shares details of Pep Guardiola exchange
Speaking to the Foot Truck podcast, Klich explained why he holds Guardiola in such high esteem.
According to the former Leeds midfielder, 80% of footballers would name Guardiola as their favourite coach if asked, and his style of play is how football should be played.
Klich said: “Pep is a disciple of Marcelo [Bielsa]. I think Guardiola is 80% of footballers’ favourite coach. His style of play and the way his teams play, it’s like, ‘this is football’.”
Asked if he ever interacted with the Manchester City boss, Klich continued: “He caught me on the touchline. And he asked me what I thought. I told him we were playing well.
“I said, you play great, but it’s 0 -0. He said, ‘It doesn’t matter, we play well, it’s the most important thing for us’. But he just talks to you.
Before adding: “Pep said, ‘it doesn’t matter, it’s important that we play well, take more touches of the ball.’ And I said, ‘Yes, you hit the crossbar, but you still have to score a goal.’ That’s a lesson from the Polish school.”
- READ MORE: Mateusz Klich names the one thing that shocked him about Raphinha when he joined Leeds United
Klich was forced to watch on in famous Leeds United win
During his time at Leeds, Klich was on the end of some heavy defeats against Man City, particularly after their first season, as they slipped towards relegation.
Klich never tasted victory on the field against Guardiola’s side, playing in one draw and three defeats, including the two losses in the 2021/22 season, with an aggregate score of 11-0.
Mateusz Klich vs Manchester City
- Played: 4
- Won: 0
- Drawn: 1
- Lost: 3
Leeds did manage one win against Manchester City during their last stint in the top flight, as Stuart Dallas scored the winner in a famous upset at the Etihad.
Although Klich was in the Leeds squad that day, he was an unused substitute and was forced to watch on from the sidelines as a result.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
