Pep Guardiola has had many great coaching rivalries, and more often than not he has come out on top when it matters most. But his battle with Thomas Tuchel is the exception.
So imagine how the Catalan must have felt upon hearing the news that the German had been named as coach of Bayern Munich just weeks before Manchester City's quarter-final tie against the Bundesliga giants.
Guardiola and Tuchel have known each other for a decade and their rivalry is built on respect and admiration, not bitterness. They even consider each other as friends.
"He's so creative," Guardiola said of the German last year. "One of the few managers I learn constantly from to develop as a better manager.
"[He is] excellent in all departments. I enjoyed him since he was in Mainz. I enjoy watching his teams and the way he's playing and the approach. He makes world football better."
Whether he'll quite feel that way once the tie has been played out over the next couple of weeks, though, remains to be seen...
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