Mr Guardiola, though, was always more Catalan than Spanish. He is a strong supporter of Catalonia’s independence, and spoke out in favour of an illegal separatist referendum in 2017. Little surprise,

Pep Guardiola is to Arne Slot what Elvis Presley was to the Beatles; without one, it is possible the other would not have caused such a stir on Merseyside.Kindred spirits meet at Anfield on Sunday, Slot admitting his development as a coach accelerated after the epiphany of watching Guardiola’s Barcelona and realising the purest vision of the game was achievable.

His future had been uncertain but the reality is there is nowhere that can offer Guardiola the environment he enjoys at the Etihad