Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has revealed that his friendships with Manchester City's Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta must be put to one side as he wants his former club to lift the Premier League title.
The former Spain international moved to Merseyside back in 2004 and lifted the Champions League trophy with the Reds before joining Real Madrid and later Bayern Munich.
It was in Germany where Alonso worked with Guardiola for the first time, and the pair developed a close bond, the City boss even invited Alonso to watch a training session last year as he began his career in management.
The former midfielder is not only close with the manager as he also shares a friendship with assistant manager Mikel Arteta - the pair grew up together during their time at Real Sociedad and later became neighbours following their moves to England.
Although he remains friends with the pair, Alonso revealed their friendship must be put aside due to the Premier League title race, with the Spaniard backing Liverpool to top the table.
"I support Mikel and Pep a lot but my feelings are not shared at the moment," he told BBC Sport. "I am a Liverpool fan.
"Last season it was phenomenal, the race that both teams had. What City did, what Liverpool did, it's going to be tough to repeat but they have the project that is stable, they know what they want but the Premier League is tough. It's still early days, but why not?"
Alonso went on the praise his countryman for the work he has done with the Citizens, especially in a league as competition as the Premier League.
He added: "Pep is so special. As a manager he understands, reads the football and the micro football, the little things - why things happen and what the team needs to do to control or create danger.
"His [Manchester City] team has been so stable and able to control all the games, and to do that in the Premier League is really difficult. That's part of his knowledge of the game and his passion.
"He's always trying to encourage the team and to transmit that passion. All that knowledge without heart and without passion is not possible. That mix is what makes him so brilliant."
