One hails from the ancient town of Santpedor in Catalonia. The other from the fishing village of Carnlough in Country Antrim.
If Pep Guardiola and Brendan Rodgers are the products of different cultures, when it comes to their footballing philosophy, the two men very much speak the same language.
The fact that the Celtic boss and his Manchester City counterpart share the same passion for possession-based football is no mere accident of birth.
Growing up in Northern Ireland, a love of aesthetically pleasing styles of football was passed down to Rodgers by his late father, Malachy.