Friday, 27th May, 2011
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he spoke to Josep Guardiola’s agent when the Barcelona manager was still a player, but missed out on the Spaniard’s signature.
The mercurial midfielder left Barcelona in 2001 after 18 years of service at the Camp Nou and eventually headed to Serie A to join Brescia, a club he continues to enjoy a good relationship with.
Guardiola was soon picked up by Roma, but failed to feature and returned to Brescia. He then went on the appear in the Middle East and Mexico before hanging up his boots in 2006.
But it could all have been so different if Ferguson had managed to take the Catalan to Old Trafford.
"I spoke to his agent, back when he left Barcelona", said Ferguson, "but whatever happened he decided to go to Italy."
The Scot went on to explain he targeted Guardiola for his superb range of passing, skills which had impressed him as far back as 1994, when United visited the Camp Nou and were thrashed 4-0.
"It was maybe a moment lost because I did admire him as a footballer.
"I thought he was a fantastic passer of the ball and in the Barcelona unit that beat us four-zero at that time, with [Jose Maria] Bakero and [Txiki] Begiristain and players like that. And it was maybe a moment lost."
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