Pep Guardiola has revealed he wants to manage Manchester United at some point in his career, according to reports in a new book that chronicles his title-winning campaign at Bayern Munich last season.
In Pep Confidential: The Inside Story of Pep Guardiola’s First Season at Bayern Munich, written by his close friend and journalist Marti Perarnau, the former Barcelona manager admits to being seduced when watching Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in 2011, saying: “I like this atmosphere. I could see myself coaching here one day.”
Guardiola took charge of Bayern Munich for the 2013-14 season – that which Perarnau chronicles – but had already agreed a move to the Allianz Arena in December 2012, before Ferguson had announced he would be leaving Old Trafford.
United did make overtures towards the Spaniard following the sacking of David Moyes in April only to find Guardiola, who is contracted to Bayern until 2016, committed to his job in Munich.
However, the revelations made by Perarnau, who had full behind-the-scenes access to Guardiola last season, will not go unnoticed at Old Trafford, even if Louis van Gaal, who made Guardiola his captain at Barcelona, is only three months into his contract.
“Pep liked the setup at Säbener Strasse (Bayern’s training facility) despite the fact it was smaller than Barça’s training ground and had fewer technical facilities.
“The Catalan was impressed and told [his personal assistant] Manuel Estiarte privately: ‘I like this place. I could see myself coaching here one day. Pep had said something very similar a few months before, at Manchester United. The day after beating Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, Guardiola and Estiarte travelled to Manchester to watch their next opponents in action.
“It was 4 May 2011, and the pair sat together in the stands of Old Trafford watching Sir Alex Ferguson’s team beat Schalke 4-1. Once again Pep had turned to his friend and said: ‘I like this atmosphere. I could see myself coaching here one day.’ Guardiola has always felt a deep admiration, almost veneration, for the legendary teams and players of Europe.”
In his book, Perarnau goes on to claim that both Chelsea and Manchester City were keen to appoint the former Barcelona manager, before he eventually agreed to replace Jupp Heynckes, bringing an end to his year-long sabbatical that began upon leaving the Catalan club at the end of the 2012 season.
Perarnau continues: “During his sabbatical year in New York, the job offers poured in. His ex-colleague, Txiki Begiristain, the director of football at Manchester City, was very insistent. He also met up in Paris with Roman Abramovich, who was prepared to do anything to lure Pep to Chelsea … Within a few months Pep, had chosen Bayern.”
