Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he approached Pep Guardiola in 2012 with a view to persuading him to take up the Red Devils’ managerial role.
Ferguson retired from management at the end of the 2012/13 season and David Moyes followed him into the role at Old Trafford. However, the former Everton boss didn’t last an entire season in the job and was given the boot after just ten months at the club.
The Red Devils have since appointed Louis van Gaal to the helm and he is currently in his second season at the club.
Guardiola, who is currently in charge of Bayern Munich, was at the helm of Barcelona from 2008 until 2012 and during his stint at the Camp Nou, he guided them to three league titles and two Champions Leagues – both of which were won by defeating Ferguson’s Manchester United in the final.
And the Scotsman has revealed that he approached the Catalan in September 2012 and tried to entice him to take up the reins at Old Trafford.
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"Give me a call and tell me what you're going to do”, the 73-year-old told Secrets of Success, a BBC One documentary.
"I was just trying to think way ahead. But I didn't get any answer and then he goes to Bayern Munich.”
He further admitted that he would have liked to have spoken to many candidates to decide upon his successor, but the circumstances didn’t allow that.
"We'd like to have spoken to many managers because that's a process.
"We'd like to have asked them what they felt about leaving a big club to go to a bigger club – to come to Manchester United.
"It wasn't there for us."
