How sausages brought Bayern Munich & Pep Guardiola together
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Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeneß has revealed how he persuaded Pep Guardiola to join the German champions while on a trip to sell sausages in the United States.
Hoeneß held talks with the former Barcelona coach last year in New York, although only after first flying out as part of a business trip for his family's sausage factory.
"It was partly a business trip for my company. I went to Chicago first to visit Aldi," the 61-year-old told Bild.
"I knew that Pep was about to fly to Barcelona for his holidays and that a meeting there would have been far more dangerous.
"So we decided I would meet him in the States, where the risk of being spotted was smaller."
Hoeneß hoped to keep the meeting private, but revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson nearly walked in on their secret rendezvous.
He added: "I wanted to take him out for a meal, but that night, Alex Ferguson was dining in the very same restaurant.
"It certainly would not have been funny had he seen me and Pep together."
The trip, though, was a complete success, with Guardiola announced as Bayern's new coach from the beginning of the 2013/14 season in January.
Hoeneß said: "He just wanted to get to know me better. Of course it was an extraordinary trip. Nobody really expected Bayern to appoint Guardiola.
"We didn't believe he was being serious with us either for a long time. What we are seeing now is a consequence of those few hours in New York."
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| Uli Hoeneß managed to secure the services of Pep Guardiola while on a business trip to USA Photo: Bongarts/Getty Images |
Hoeneß held talks with the former Barcelona coach last year in New York, although only after first flying out as part of a business trip for his family's sausage factory.
"It was partly a business trip for my company. I went to Chicago first to visit Aldi," the 61-year-old told Bild.
"I knew that Pep was about to fly to Barcelona for his holidays and that a meeting there would have been far more dangerous.
"So we decided I would meet him in the States, where the risk of being spotted was smaller."
Hoeneß hoped to keep the meeting private, but revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson nearly walked in on their secret rendezvous.
He added: "I wanted to take him out for a meal, but that night, Alex Ferguson was dining in the very same restaurant.
"It certainly would not have been funny had he seen me and Pep together."
The trip, though, was a complete success, with Guardiola announced as Bayern's new coach from the beginning of the 2013/14 season in January.
Hoeneß said: "He just wanted to get to know me better. Of course it was an extraordinary trip. Nobody really expected Bayern to appoint Guardiola.
"We didn't believe he was being serious with us either for a long time. What we are seeing now is a consequence of those few hours in New York."
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- Pep Guardiola not turning Bayern Munich into new Barcelona
- Pep Guardiola speaks in German at Bayern Munich unveiling
