Ferran Soriano & Txiki Begiristain

[Ronnie the Rep]

I can tell you that late November 2012, when chelski were courting Pep, he was in New York laughing about it with Ferran. At that time Ferran thought it unlikely he would join City

Makes sense as by then he had most certainly agreed to joining Bayern.

Also why I don't buy that City approached Pep at any point last season. Just seems unlikely given how close they are to him and for how long he had been talking to Bayern prior to taking that job.

Haha. Two conflicting press stories, one backing my theory and one backing yours.

We both know where the first one came from too ;-)

I think on balance I'm buying yours. They know each other so well that a 'gentleman's' could have, and probably would have, been reached very early if there was will on both sides.

City did NOT approach him. I am referring to a personal conversation between Ferran and Pep

 

[Anonymous]

City did NOT approach him. I am referring to a personal conversation between Ferran and Pep

What else did they talk about ? :)

Seriously obviously either you were there or someone you trust was there because that's the only way you'd know that as fact. So i'd love to know what else they talked about!

 

[Ronnie the Rep]

City did NOT approach him. I am referring to a personal conversation between Ferran and Pep

What else did they talk about ? :)

Seriously obviously either you were there or someone you trust was there because that's the only way you'd know that as fact. So i'd love to know what else they talked about!

I was there. End of discussion as a bit pissed Ina. Bar in Moscow. If I new you better I would provide photo evidence

 

[Anonymous]

City did NOT approach him. I am referring to a personal conversation between Ferran and Pep

What else did they talk about ? :)

Seriously obviously either you were there or someone you trust was there because that's the only way you'd know that as fact. So i'd love to know what else they talked about!

I was there. End of discussion as a bit pissed Ina. Bar in Moscow. If I new you better I would provide photo evidence

Oh I believe you mate, don't you worry. Must've been quite a night.

 

[Ronnie the Rep]

What else did they talk about ? :)

Seriously obviously either you were there or someone you trust was there because that's the only way you'd know that as fact. So i'd love to know what else they talked about!

I was there. End of discussion as a bit pissed Ina. Bar in Moscow. If I new you better I would provide photo evidence

Oh I believe you mate, don't you worry. Must've been quite a night.

I come to Paris regularly! I'll buy you a glass of Boudreaux in the sixieme ( do you know the Funzi) and show you the pic

 

[Anonymous]

I was there. End of discussion as a bit pissed Ina. Bar in Moscow. If I new you better I would provide photo evidence

Oh I believe you mate, don't you worry. Must've been quite a night.

I come to Paris regularly! I'll buy you a glass of Boudreaux in the sixieme ( do you know the Funzi) and show you the pic

Haha ... you are most definitely on! I'll send you a pm.

 

[Danamy]

I can tell you that late November 2012, when chelski were courting Pep, he was in New York laughing about it with Ferran. At that time Ferran thought it unlikely he would join City

I would say stalking him would've been a more appropriate way of putting it.

 

[aguero93:20]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914...ester-city-pep-guardiola-the-one-who-got-away

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola is one that won't go away.

Manuel Pellegrini will know that, had Manchester City's executives got their way, the Spaniard would be in charge of the home team for the Champions League clash at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola was wooed and pursued, wined and dined, at least to some extent, by a number of Europe’s leading clubs during his sabbatical last season, including Manchester United and Chelsea.

Yet in the end, it essentially came down to a straight choice between City and Bayern Munich.


While Bayern were willing to ruthlessly oust Jupp Heynckes to bring in the most sought after coach in world football, City tried to play their game behind the scenes, refusing to make a definitive decision on the future of existing manager Roberto Mancini.

Guardiola now brings the Champions League holders to the Etihad Stadium knowing he could have been tasked with improving the English club’s dire record in two seasons in the competition during which they have failed to progress from the group stages.

Bayern were the club who made the move for Guardiola and saw the Spaniard as the man to build on recent success and build a dynasty, to dominate domestically and in Europe.

It was the same brief that City's Abu Dhabi owners have given the club's hierarchy. City’s power brokers, chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain, have made a shrewd appointment in Pellegrini, especially given his excellent record in Europe in comparison with Mancini.

But Pellegrini does not have the reputation or the proven track record to even compare with Guardiola, who won 14 trophies in four years in charge at Camp Nou after being appointed by Soriano and Begiristain.

The three enjoyed a close relationship at Barcelona - especially Begiristain and Guardiola - and held several informal conversations about the former midfielder taking over at City and how they could achieve success while pursuing the parallel target of a self-sustainable business model with focus on the Academy.

City could afford Guardiola’s wage demands with little trouble and the man himself spoke of his desire to coach in the Premier League and experience a new culture.

But in their first season in Manchester, the two Spaniards in the City boardroom were eager to appear sensible and cool-headed in relation to Mancini.

The Italian had, of course, just won City their first title in 44 years and was popular with the club's supporters, but his days were numbered following the executive appointments and he knew it, despite just signing a five-year contract.

They ended up with a messy divorce as they failed woefully to defend their league title and lost the FA Cup final to soon-to-be-relegated Wigan, while the dissenting noises about Mancini’s management style reached deafening volume.

By that point, the game was already up and Mancini had to face the humiliation of answering questions about Pellegrini’s proposed appointment while he was still in charge of the club.

Had Soriano and Begiristain gone with their instincts and pulled the trigger earlier, they could have landed the man they really wanted and continued with their carbon copy of the Barcelona blueprint. A shift on the pitch has already begun under Pellegrini, with the La Masia-inspired Etihad Campus, opening next summer, designed to instill a new footballing philosophy at the club.

It is, after all, a long term project in east Manchester, and one in which the City power brokers can still privately foresee a significant role for Guardiola. They will be watching him and Bayern closely.

on Wednesday evening Pellegrini, a ...ged 60, cementing a legacy will be difficult.

At the perpetual motion machine that is City, who are regenerating an entire area of Manchester, never mind just a football club, the outlook is decades ahead, not just a game at a time.

As such, although Guardiola will arrive at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday the enemy, the club's kingmakers haven't finished with him yet. Manchester City and Pep Guardiola is one that wonn't go away.

goal talk a lot of shit though, I've seen a lot of articles on that website that twist words unbelievably out of context (from interviews I've seen) and articles that have no quotes or seemingly no factual basis whatsoever and follow a rambling train of thought style, ala Rodney marsh. in fact id have to check, but I believe they were the ones who started that bollocks with dzeko's "agent".

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Re: Ferran Soriano & Txiki Begiristain

Goal are on of the most in touch media outlets of them all on city now.

 

[George Hannah]

City did NOT approach him. I am referring to a personal conversation between Ferran and Pep

What else did they talk about ? :)
Seriously obviously either you were there or someone you trust was there because that's the only way you'd know that as fact. So i'd love to know what else they talked about!

I was there. End of discussion as a bit pissed Ina. Bar in Moscow. If I knew you better I would provide photo evidence

You're our man on the spot Ronnie! Mancini messed it all up by winning the league. We'd have looked bad if we sacked him after that and Pep lifted his skirts at the Germans. When we decided Roberto would have to go after another inglorious PL exit in November 2012 Soriano's pleas to Pep to renege on his promise fell on deaf ears. Does him credit that.