Xabi Alonso admits he left Real Madrid for Bayern Munich in 2014 because he was desperate to play under Pep Guardiola.
And the former Spanish midfielder admits he didn't enjoy playing against Jurgen Klopp's 'intense' Borussia Dortmund side.
The former Liverpool star is making his first strides in management after taking over at Real Sociedad B in the summer.
He admits that moving to Germany straight after winning Madrid's Decima was prompted by wanting to learn from Guardiola
'I was so curious to find out his secrets,' he told The Athletic. The 37-year-old reveals that the Manchester City boss made his players 'feel like we knew the opponent better than they knew themselves'.
Alonso insists that Guardiola is a micro-manager, obsessed by the small details and wired differently to others in his field.
'A relentless natural enthusiasm,' he said. 'Football seasons are long but right until the very end, Pep never seemed to be tired. He was alert, always ready. For the players, maybe this gave us an extra few metres in our legs when it mattered most.'
He also reserved special prize for Guardiola's great rival of the modern day, Liverpool boss Klopp.
Alonso played against Klopp's Borussia Dortmund sides for both Real Madrid and Bayern, and admitted: 'I didn't enjoy playing against them because they made it so intense, you'd almost break.'
He admits he suffered in those games, adding: 'It was like he (Klopp) wanted you to be in a cage. He wanted to trap you. There was an organised pressure.
'I was under pressure all the time. I enjoyed the mood around those games because they were so important but the challenge of beating Dortmund was immense.'