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Paris Saint-Germain host Manchester City in Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday; first meeting between Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola since the former was sacked by Tottenham in November 2019; both coaches bidding to reach first Champions League final with their clubs
Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino says his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world as they prepare to renew their rivalry in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday.
The pair have locked horns before, both on the pitch and in the dugout, lining up against each other in their playing days for city rivals Barcelona and Espanyol before going on to manage their respective clubs.
“For me, he is the best,” Pochettino, who replaced Thomas Tuchel as PSG boss midway through the season, said.
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“I admire him and think he is doing a fantastic job. He is an amazing coach, always thinking of different strategies and game-plans. I love to challenge him and the teams he prepared.
“Not only the best manager. The club is important, too. A club that trusts you to build a team and provides you with all the tools.”
Tuchel guided PSG to their first Champions League final last season, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in Lisbon.
But Pochettino believes that defeat will give his side added motivation to return to the final at City’s expense, saying: “We now have the experience but we need to go step by step.
PSG gained revenge for their 2020 Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich by eliminating them in the quarter-finals this year
“Now, we have to beat Manchester City and it is going to be really, really tough.”
The first leg of the semi-final will be played in Paris, with the return leg in Manchester on May 4.
The 2021 Champions League final will be held in Istanbul on May 29.
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Skysports.com
