(CNN) — Liverpool star Mohamed Salah includes a message for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola — the Champions League is football’s“biggest competition.“
It’s often claimed that Guardiola’s stewardship of all City is going to be measured by the team winning its first Champions League title, although the Catalan lately said he’d choose winning the English Premier League over European victory.
Talking to reporters earlier that month, Guardiola likened Liverpool’s Champions League triumph with a trip to the casino, even comparing it with all the spin of roulette wheel.
Though the Premier League entails playing 38 games against domestic competitions, Liverpool played with 13 matches to win the Champions League, emerging out of a group containing Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade, before beating Bayern Munich, Porto, Barcelona and Tottenham.
Guardiola, who won the Champions League twice as trainer of Barcelona, insisted that the Premier League was“the most significant thing, “ the stand-out competition, because it is every weekend“ As a coach Guardiola last won the Champions League in 2011.
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However, Salah, who scored Liverpool’s opening goal in the 2-0 win over Tottenham at the Champions League final in Madrid, contrasts with the Spaniard, claiming the prestige of winning the contest trumps England’s national crown.
„Frankly, I did not understand that he (Guardiola) stated that, but I believe if you give him a option to select that one, he would select the Champions League,“ Salah told CNN’s Becky Anderson in a private interview at the club’s Melwood training ground.
„That is my opinion. I’m not speaking about him, but my view. It’s the largest competition in football, so everybody wants to win it.
„Every single coach, every player wants to win it, dreams of winning it. So needless to say the Premier League is something large, but still the Champions League is the largest competition“
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While free about Liverpool’s Champions League success, Guardiola publicly contested City’s domestic depreciation failed to inspire adulation.
And while City celebrated another consecutive Premier League title, Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham at June’s Champions League final took centre stage.
„Frankly, it was amazing,“ Salah said of his team’s Champions League success. „It’s a dream for everybody, the town, the gamers, to win a Champions League is something really great and something really significant.
„So everybody was having that particular moment. I was feeling like a child whose dream comes true.“
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Premier League competition
City and Liverpool appears set to restart hostilities in this season’s Premier League title race using Guardiola’s men aiming for a third consecutive domestic crown.
Not since 1990, two decades before the arrival of the Premier League, has Liverpool been crowned as winner of England’s top division.
And its job does not look like getting easier anytime soon.
Founded by only a single point last term, City has invested large in the transfer market with the #62.8 million ($76 million) signing of midfielder Rodri from Atletico Madrid, in addition to splashing #60 million ($72.4 million) on Portuguese guardian Joao Cancelo.
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The two teams won their opening games of the new year convincingly with Liverpool thrashing Norwich 4-1 and City beating West Ham 5-0 in east London.
But while City sits at home on Wednesday night planning for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Tottenham, Liverpool is currently in Istanbul for its European Super Cup final.
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The game, which will be held yearly between the winners of the Champions League and also Europa League, pits Liverpool contrary to English rival Chelsea.
„I love these games,“ Salah said ahead of the tie in Turkey.
„Big games and a last match… they wish to win with a new coach and also you need to acquire it,“ additional Salah, referring to Chelsea’s new manager Frank Lampard.