Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has launched a vicious attack on Manchester United back on September 16th, saying publicly that United can’t afford his players. Or at least his best ones. The Bayern boss also claimed Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller don’t want to leave for the Bundesliga for the Premier League anyway.
Now, a new book reveals that Guardiola actually wanted to manage at Old Trafford. So that explains the attack. It’s just displaced desire.
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.”
From The Guardian:
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 Pep 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.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and very often writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his features stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2