Sir Alex Ferguson reveals "secret meeting" with Pep Guardiola in 2012
Sir Alex Ferguson, the greatest manager in the history of Manchester United, has revealed details of a secret meeting in his new book, «Games of My Life», which could have completely changed the course of modern football history. The Scottish legend shared candid and regretful confessions about a dinner with Pep Guardiola in New York in 2012 and why he was unable to bring the Spanish specialist to Old Trafford as his successor.
When these two giants of football met, Guardiola was on vacation after four years of unprecedented success with Barcelona, while Ferguson was nearing the end of his career and looking for a worthy successor.
«I would have poured more Tignanello»: Sir Alex's biggest regret
Ferguson emphasizes in his memoirs that he repeatedly recalls that historic evening in New York:
A delayed meeting: «Over the past 10 years, I've thought a lot about what would have happened if our dinner with Pep in New York in 2012 had been organized a few months earlier. At that time, I hadn't yet made a firm decision to retire», Ferguson writes;
Desire to turn back time: «If I could turn back time, we would have met a few months earlier. I would have poured him more Tignanello (Italy's famous premium wine) and done everything in my power to convince him that his future was in Manchester (at Manchester United)»;
«Alas, the future was there»: The Scottish manager hinted at the void that has remained a lifelong regret for Old Trafford fans, saying: «Alas. For us, his future should have been right there».
Pep's choice: Why Bayern prevailed
At the time the meeting took place, the Spanish coach's plans were already formed:
Peak at Barcelona: In just four years in the Spanish La Liga, Guardiola achieved a treble, winning a string of championships and the UEFA Champions League trophy;
The Bundesliga as a new challenge: Having had his fill of success, the specialist was firmly set on testing himself in the German Bundesliga, specifically in charge of Bayern Munich;
Changed chronology: Sir Alex left MU in 2013. Meanwhile, Guardiola spent three brilliant years in Munich and in 2016 headed not to Manchester United, but to their fierce crosstown rival Manchester City.
If Guardiola had managed United...
Ferguson's statement has drawn football fans around the world into a whirlpool of historical speculations:
MU's crisis period: After Ferguson's departure, United struggled under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Erik ten Hag, losing their championship spirit;
City's hegemony: Over 10 years, Guardiola transformed Manchester City into the most powerful club in the world, winning all possible trophies.
If that conversation in the New York restaurant in 2012 had taken place a few months earlier and Sir Alex had managed to persuade Guardiola, the face of not only Manchester but world football over the last 10 years would have looked completely different.
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