Chapter Text
It was strange seeing Pep twice within a week. Their rivalry was one that Jürgen had always enjoyed, no matter the frustrations playing a Guardiola side entailed. Truth be told, when he left Dortmund there was a part of him - a small part, largely drowned out by the excitement of managing Liverpool, but still there - that was a little sad to be leaving behind Der Klassiker against Pep’s Bayern. Managing against Pep just brought the game to a whole new level, making him all the more passionate; and, always bedecked in his club’s merchandise while waving his arms about in the technical area, Jürgen was pretty passionate already.
Though he knew Pep’s arrival at Man City would make his job immeasurably harder, he was secretly thrilled that his favourite rival was back in the picture. Whether Pep felt the same he had no clue, but if the firmness of their hugs was anything to go by, then Jürgen wondered if the feeling might be mutual. That, and his phone call to a fairly baffled Pep when the other man had barely finished moving into his new house, wishing him well in his role. Pep certainly seemed surprised by the call, but his thanks sounded genuine enough, Jürgen reasoned.
Pep had never struck Jürgen as too talkative, anyway. Yes, he dutifully performed well enough in his interviews and press conferences, sometimes his sarcastic manner of dealing with journalists being not too unlike Jürgen himself. Sure, they’d always exchanged a few words before and after each game, but nothing major. In the past Jürgen had worried that he made Pep uncomfortable, maybe that was why they’d never met for a drink or something after a match. The way Pep’s eyes tended to light up when he saw Jürgen though, and the fact he was always happy to be hugged by the German, suggested different. Jürgen knew he could come across as quite full on as a person, but maybe that wasn’t the reason.
Maybe Pep simply wanted a professional relationship with him and had no interest in becoming friends. Fine. That didn’t stop Jürgen from calling him every time Man City won a trophy, congratulating Pep and his side. It was a pleasant surprise when Liverpool won the Champions League that Pep himself called Jürgen, hesitant at first but able to muster out his own congratulations. He did so again after Liverpool won the Premier League, so Jürgen was pretty sure that yes they did indeed have a good rapport at this point. Solely professionally, of course. Jürgen would take that.
The 2021/22 season was, for both of them, absolutely insane. Jürgen often found himself looking at Pep’s contact on his phone, finger hovering over it to call the other man and just exchange exclamations on what a mad season it was. With the title race, their teams having drawn 2-2 back in October, and various match postponements from Covid, surely no one could blame Jürgen for wanting to enthuse with a fellow manager about it. Well, not just any fellow manager - Frank Lampard, for example, might be less keen on a catch up. He really rather wanted to speak to Pep. Each time, though, he thought better of it, glancing down to the next contact and calling that Pep instead.
April’s trip to the Etihad ended 2-2, and honestly Jürgen was thrilled. Winning was obviously the objective, but it just felt right for the points to be shared. It seemed Pep might have missed him a little too, though, throwing his arms around the Liverpool manager. He'd let Jürgen wrap an arm around him before clasping his hand after the game - all but refusing to let him go - and chatting happily while Jürgen was supposed to be doing an interview for Sky. It was nice. The draw was nice. Jürgen had a good day.
Facing City again the next weekend was perhaps less nice, though, with a draw not exactly being an option. Of course every game counted in the Premier League, but this was the FA Cup and they were both fixated on winning. Naturally, they hugged before the game and then a little less enthusiastically after, Pep not being too pleased with the result. Jürgen was ecstatic, bounding around on the pitch after full-time and celebrating with the fans. At long, long last he’d got Liverpool to an FA Cup final and the atmosphere in the dressing room was unbelievable. Nobody was allowed on the team bus without a massive hug off the manager.
Later that evening, though, he found himself wanting to call Pep. What was it he was even after? To commiserate him? Because Jürgen certainly didn’t need any congratulations; perhaps if they won it, but not yet. He had, though, enjoyed Pep’s awkward little phone call after Liverpool won the Carabao Cup, smiling to himself when the City manager had run out of anything to say and started trying to awkwardly congratulate Jürgen’s man-management before the penalties. Maybe he just liked talking to another manager, someone who understands, after playing in such a dramatic game. In the end, he compromised, texting Pep to thank him for such a fun week of football. He didn’t get a reply, but that was okay.
Jürgen ended up, a few weeks later, actually watching City’s game against Real Madrid live on TV. A few of the boys had suggested a group viewing at the training ground, and who was Jürgen to say no; they’d be playing either of the teams regardless.
It was a surreal experience, watching Pep manage from the sidelines. Jürgen himself rarely found the chance to just watch a full game of football, especially one not featuring Liverpool. It must surely be natural, as a manager, for his eyes to be drawn to the technical area. Ancelotti largely appeared calm, simply raising a quizzical eyebrow as his team miraculously levelled on aggregate before surpassing City to win the tie.
Pep, on the other hand, seemed agitated and Jürgen’s heart genuinely went out to him. To concede and crash out like that? It was the nightmare of any manager, and Pep was coming across as so anxious with his shouting and flailing arms that Jürgen just wanted to fly over and give him a hug. It reminded him of the pressure he himself was under to lead Liverpool to a Premier League title; Pep had been under immense pressure to win the Champions League with City, and here he was failing again.
He chose not to call the City manager, or even to text him. What if it came off as him gloating, somehow? So he didn’t contact Pep.
Then Pep, uncharacteristically, called him twice. First to congratulate Liverpool on winning the FA Cup, and then to commiserate them for the Champions League. That was, Jürgen noted, their longest ever call. They managed to laugh about the formidability of Real Madrid, discuss Ancelotti given he was somehow managing Everton shortly before, and Pep offered his sympathies for the stadium messing up the entry of Liverpool fans, allowing Jürgen to rant about the psychological impact it had on his players and himself. Once they’d hung up, again laughing as they wished each other well despite really wishing the other misfortune in the final game of the season, Jürgen saw they’d been speaking for 53 minutes. Considering they rarely exceeded 5, that really was something.
The last fixture was horrible. It was immensely disappointing, after an afternoon of such highs and lows, and a period where he could honestly say they might just win the League. His players and their families celebrating their success on the pitch did postpone what was almost his grieving for the season until the evening, though. Jürgen quite frankly adored his players, and some of them had slipped into the territory of perhaps being more like his own sons at that point.
The tears in the dressing room after the game, when the families were shepherded off to the buffet laid out in case they had managed to pull of the impossible, were painful to watch. Jürgen watched as the players’ leadership team did the rounds, trying to console the others, knowing he’d be consoling them themselves within the hour. His prediction was unfortunately right, and he was busy embracing a fairly distraught Alisson when his phone rang. Slightly pulling away from Ali, he got his phone out of his pocket and saw it was Pep.
Normally Jürgen would jump at the opportunity to talk to Pep, even if it was at his own team’s expense as it too often had been over the past few years. First of all, it was his turn to call Pep - Pep had just won the League. More crucial in Jürgen’s opinion, though, was they’d usually wait. Wait a couple of days to ring the other, give each other time to party or to pick themselves, but more importantly their team, back up. That’s why Jürgen was, for once, annoyed. Surely Pep knew he’d be with his players right now? Making sure they’re okay? He took one look at Ali who was still clinging to him, face buried in his manager’s shoulder, and declined the call.
Yes of course he’d still give his congratulations, but he had a goalkeeper to look after, alongside the rest of his squad and staff. Pep could wait.
—----------
Jürgen had hung up on him, Pep realised. It was only a few minutes later, in his tipsy state, that it occurred to him the Liverpool manager would undoubtedly be with his players. God, he was an idiot. It was all Mikel’s fault really. Well, Pep knew it wasn’t, but it felt it. Pep had always secretly enjoyed his rivalry with Jürgen. In all honesty it didn’t really feel like a rivalry between them as managers, whatever the media tried to make it out to be; he loved their meetings, loved Jürgen’s charisma and hugs, loved that his passion for the game could almost rival Pep’s own. Everyone had just accepted them to be long-standing rivals, civil adversaries in the game. Mikel, however, seemed to have worked him out.
They were in Pep’s office, a couple of days after City won the league back in 2018, when Jürgen called. Since they only ever exchanged pleasantries anyway, Pep just let a bemused Mikel stay in the room as he thanked the German but also commiserated him on the Champions League final, before wishing him a nice summer break. After hanging up, Mikel hit the nail on the head. He assessed outright that what Pep and Jürgen have is barely a rivalry, it’s just two people very good at their jobs who admire and want to befriend each other.
Since then, Mikel had periodically suggested to Pep that he should invite Jürgen for lunch somewhere, take him to play golf or something, have a drink after a game. Of course they were all lovely ideas and over the years Pep had got very close to doing just that, but he’d never managed it. Instead, he figured he’d just take what he got; around four hugs a year and often a phone call or so off the German.
Since facing Jürgen in the Bundesliga, Pep had tried not to dwell too much on his admiration for the man. Logically, he told himself, he liked Jürgen as the man was passionate about football and an incredible manager. That was surely it. He admired how Jürgen’s charisma allowed him to win over his players and the fans, how he was always so friendly and willing to hug Pep even if his side had just lost to Pep’s own. He relished the challenge of playing against his teams - it absolutely wasn’t because he really was just embarrassingly fond of Jürgen. No, that wasn’t it at all. He was looking forward to the match because it would promise to be a great game of football, not because he’d get a hug. That certainly wasn’t it. Of course not.
He couldn’t speak to Mikel outside of training for a few days when the younger man asked if he’d originally accepted City’s offer because Jürgen had recently left Germany for England as well. Of course he vehemently denied it; he left the Bundesliga for a new challenge, he informed Mikel, for the chance to manage at the highest level in a different country, to have new experiences. Jürgen already being there was most definitely not a factor in his decision whatsoever and Mikel was wrong to assume so.
Neither Mikel nor Pep himself believed that, and in their phone calls, texts, and dinners since, Pep knew Mikel continued to not believe that.
When Pep and his team were celebrating after winning the league again in 2022, Mikel called him up with his congratulations after the match. Pep merrily chatted to him for a while, already two glasses of champagne and a couple of shots (blame his over-excited players) down, before realising the Arsenal manager had an ulterior motive as he suggested Pep call up Jürgen. In an interview a couple of weeks ago Pep said one day he’d have dinner with Jürgen, Mikel reasoned, so why not invite him for a meal? It wasn’t until a little after Pep’s attempt that it occurred to him Mikel probably didn’t mean for him to phone Jürgen immediately.
Oh well. He reasoned that was something his sober self would probably have to face. Not allowing himself to wallow in the guilt and embarrassment creeping up on him for calling Jürgen at such a ridiculous time, Pep got back into celebrating with his team.
Two days after the win, Jürgen still hadn’t called. Mikel had just laughed at him when Pep explained what he’d done. It must have been over a week later, though, that Pep was startled out of his thoughts while making dinner one night by his phone ringing. It was Jürgen. Hesitantly, he answered.
“Pep!” exclaimed the voice at the other end of the phone. “So sorry to have not called earlier. Congratulations on winning the league! You and your players must be very proud,” Jürgen went on. As ever, he actually sounded genuine.
“Er, thank you, Jürgen. And I hope you and your players are proud too. You had a great season, so close to the quadruple. I’m sorry you couldn’t get more success,” replied Pep. Then, to Pep’s alarm, Jürgen launched into the exchanging of pleasantries and wishing him a good summer. No, he couldn’t hang up yet.
“Oh, um, Jürgen, sorry, I wanted to apologise for calling you the other day -”
“That’s okay. It was a crazy afternoon, yes?”
“No, you must have been with your players, I’m sorry. I was, well, I’d had a bit to drink and decided to ring you. I do apologise,” Pep gushed, knowing the anxiety was creeping into his voice. To his surprise, rather than thank him for the apology or something, Jürgen just laughed.
“Ah, Pep. You do not need to worry. Honestly. I was just busy, that’s all,” Jürgen chuckled, until he paused. “I do like when we call, Pep. I know it’s my turn as it was you who won, but I like that you wanted to call.”
Pep’s heart was thumping. Jürgen likes it when he phones him. Jürgen actually likes the somewhat stilted, slightly awkward calls they exchange.
“What was it, may I ask, you were actually calling to say?” the German continued, sounding genuinely interested.
Well. Now or never, Pep supposed. At least he’d have something to say when he next saw Mikel, regardless of Jürgen’s reaction.
“I… I wanted to see if - well, it’s probably a silly idea, you’re very busy, I’m sure, but do you want to go for lunch?” he eventually blurts out. There’s silence at the other end of the phone, so Pep babbles on. “We don’t have to, I just thought it might be a nice idea, our teams being so neck and neck and all that, but -”
“Pep, I’d love to,” Jürgen finally replied, cutting the other man off. “When and where do you have in mind?”
Relief literally cascaded through the City manager.
“Is this Friday too soon?”
“Not at all!”
“Well, shall I text you a couple places and you choose? And I’ll reserve for, say, one o’clock?”
“That would be perfect, Pep.”
Pep was glad Jürgen couldn’t see him blushing.
“Okay. I’ll do that. Nice speaking to you, Jürgen. See you on Friday!” he managed to get out.
“Likewise, Pep. Looking forward to it.” And with that, Jürgen rung off.
Pep was breathing like he’d just run laps of the pitch. He was actually finally doing it. He was having lunch with Jürgen.
Well, time to call Mikel.