Pep Guardiola would like to one day follow in Sir Alex Ferguson's
footsteps and manage Manchester United, according to the new book "Pep
Confidential: The Inside Story of Pep Guardiola's First Season at Bayern
Munich."
Marti Perarnau, the book's author, writes that Guardiola told his
personal assistant Manel Estiarte of his interest in United in 2011, as
revealed in excerpts published by the Telegraph.
"It was May 4, and the pair sat together in the stands of Old
Trafford watching Sir Alex Ferguson's team beat Schalke 4-1. Pep 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."
Current United boss Louis van Gaal was Guardiola's manager when the
two were at Barcelona as player and coach. Guardiola went on to manage
Barca five years after the Dutchman had left the Nou Camp.
The former Spanish midfielder then met with Ferguson in New York City
at the halfway point of the 2013-14 campaign, after Guardiola had moved
on from Barcelona.
At the time, there was speculation that Ferguson told Guardiola of
his plans to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, but that
was never confirmed.
"During his sabbatical year in New York, the job offers poured in,"
Perarnau wrote. "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.
"Bayern, too, were anxious to register an early interest and a
delegation from Munich attended Pep's last game with Barca, the final of
the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao in Madrid on May 25, 2012. In
the event, the Bayern delegation did not get a chance speak to
Guardiola, but they made their interest clear during a meeting with his
agent. Within a few months, Pep had chosen Bayern.
This news comes a little late for the brass at Old Trafford, who made
efforts to bring Guardiola over from Bayern Munich after they sacked
David Moyes towards the end of the 2013-14 Premier League campaign,
according to The Telegraph report.
When asked in April about an Old Trafford move, Guardiola said, "I am
here. I am at Bayern and I want to stay two more years here."
That timing would take Guardiola to the end of his current contract
with Bayern in 2016. Van Gaal's contract with Manchester United goes
until the end of 2017, so even if there was interest, the move couldn't
happen unless the Dutchman was let go or resigned.
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