Sir Alex Ferguson held a secret meeting with Pep Guardiola in New York in 2012, attempting to persuade the Spaniard to succeed him as Manchester United manager. The encounter took place at a restaurant ahead of what would be Ferguson's final season in charge, though he had not yet formally decided on his retirement date.
Guardiola, then on a sabbatical after a successful spell at Barcelona, recalled the dinner in 2014, joking that he was unsure if he had received an offer due to the language barrier and Ferguson's thick Glaswegian accent. 'My English was not so good and Sir Alex spoke a little bit quickly,' Guardiola said. 'That's why I didn't understand if I received an offer or not.'
Ferguson later wrote in his 2015 book 'Leading' that he admired Guardiola greatly but could not make a direct proposal as retirement was not on his agenda at that point. He asked Guardiola to call before accepting another club's offer, but the call never came. In January 2013, Guardiola announced he would join Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
United instead appointed David Moyes on Ferguson's recommendation, but Moyes was sacked after 10 months. Guardiola eventually moved to Manchester in 2016, joining rivals City, where he has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the Champions League. Meanwhile, United have struggled, finishing 15th in the 2024/25 season and recently sacking Ruben Amorim.
The meeting in New York is now seen as a pivotal moment in football history, with United's decline contrasting sharply with City's dominance under Guardiola. Darren Fletcher has taken temporary charge at Old Trafford, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly in line for an interim role.
