Pep Guardiola has lifted the lid on a secret meeting he had with Sir Alex Ferguson about the possibility of joining Manchester United.
The meeting took place at a New York restaurant in 2012 during Guardiola’s 12-month break after quitting Barcelona.
Ferguson has since revealed that he asked Guardiola to contact him before he took another managerial role, but the former Barca boss ended up making the move to Bayern Munich in 2013.
‘My English is that period was not as good as it is right now, and so maybe I just didn’t understand what Sir Alex told me,’ Guardiola said ahead of Manchester City’s cash with United on Sunday.
‘We met in a magnificent restaurant for dinner and I think he has said he suggested to me something about going to Old Trafford.
‘But I really don’t remember that. We spoke about life, about football, about the Premier League, I remember.
‘But there was no message sent to me under the table about United. I think I would remember that.
‘It was just two friends, two colleagues in football, talking about many, many things.
‘What I do remember was that Sir Alex spoke really fast and it was difficult to understand him.
‘But it was nice because he chose an amazing restaurant – and of course he paid!
‘In that period I had already talked to Bayern Munich and it was clear to me that I was going to experience Germany.
‘Bayern Munich were the first club to call me, and then Manchester City, but I had already decided to try to prove myself in Germany and live that experience.’
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