Robert Lewandowski picks between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola
Bayern Munich hitman Robert Lewandowski has picked Jurgen Klopp ahead of Pep Guardiola as his favourite manager in football. The Polish striker has had the distinct advantage of having played under two of the finest managers in recent times.
Robert Lewandowski developed into a world-class striker under Klopp during his four-year stint at Borussia Dortmund. During this time, the duo tasted monumental success as they won two Bundesliga titles coupled with a DFB Pokal and a DFL Super Cup. Lewandowski also fired Klopp's side to the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2013, only for Dortmund to lose to Bayern Munich in the final.
The Polish striker moved from Dortmund to Bayern Munich on a free transfer, where he further honed his skills under Pep Guardiola. Under the Spanish tactician, Robert Lewandowski helped the Aliianz Arena outfit to two Bundesliga titles in as many years, along with a DFB Pokal win against his former side Dortmund.
The two managerial heavyweights have since moved on to the Premier League, where they have tussled for top honours in the competition. Robert Lewandowski has weighed down on who is his personal favourite among the two.
Speaking in an interview with ESPN, Robert Lewandowski said:
"I think Jurgen Klopp [is my favourite] and after that Pep Guardiola. 100 per cent.
The 31-year-old delved a bit deeper into the personality of the Liverpool manager Kloop, saying that the German has two faces and is not shy of speaking the harsh truth. Robert Lewandowski also said that Klopp has an innate ability of perfectly judging when and how much to push a player, which makes him so good at his job. In this regard, Robert Lewandowski said:
"(Klopp) has two faces. You can see that he is kind of like a father, but the second part is like a coach, a manager. He can tell you everything - and I'm not speaking about the good things - about the bad things."
"Also for (players), he is a huge motivation. He makes this perfect, because he knows where there is this line where he can [push you] more or a little bit less. His performance as a coach is amazing, but not only as a coach but also as a man."
Robert Lewandowski is confident ahead of Chelsea clash
Robert Lewandowski has been in red-hot form this season. He has scored 51 goals across all competitions for Bayern Munich that includes 34 goals in the Bundesliga and 11 goals in six Champions League games.
The Polish striker scored one of three unanswered goals in the first leg of the Bavarian giants' 3-0 Round of 16 first-leg win away at Chelsea.
Ahead of the second leg against the London club, Robert Lewandowski is confident about completing the job against Frank Lampard's side. He said that the Bavarian giants are ready and up for the challenge.
"Chelsea have been playing great, very good. I don't worry. We know that we are Bayern Munich, and we have big respect for Chelsea. We know we are in good form, and we know what happened in the first leg. We need to have a good first 20 minutes, but we are fresh after the break (since the Bundesliga ended)," Robert Lewandowski concluded.