Pep Guardiola rejected chance to sign for "genius" Sam Allardyce after meeting

06 May 2023 , 07:30

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Sam Allardyce and Pep Guardiola have now managed against each other on a number of occasions (Image: Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Sam Allardyce could have signed Pep Guardiola during his time as Bolton manager, with the now City boss having met with the legendary midfielder in his Barcelona flat 20 years ago.

The pair meet this weekend in the Premier League, with Allardyce embarking on his ninth Premier League managerial job as he is tasked with keeping Leeds United in the top flight. His side currently sit 17th in the table with four games left to play, with a tough assignment to start at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.

Allardyce has developed a reputation as being a survival specialist, with a number of Premier League clubs in the last decade hiring the 68-year-old to keep them in the Premier League. However, 20 years ago at Bolton Wanderers he had built an illustrious side who were an established top-half outfit.

He had brought in a host of famous names in the world of football to play at the newly constructed Reebok Stadium, with Jay-Jay Okocha, Ivan Campo and Fernando Hierro among the famous names plying their trade in the North-West. It was an entertaining side who recorded a succession of top-half finishes and left Allardyce being linked to the England manager's job.

It was former Real Madrid captain Hierro's departure in 2005, after helping The Trotters qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time which spurred Allardyce on to approach Guardiola. The former Barcelona man had just completed a spell Qatar with Al-Ahli and was a free agent, with Allardyce revealing a meeting in the then 34-year-old's flat.

Pep Guardiola went back on his word after blocking last-ditch Barcelona transfer

Recalling the talks, he told his, No Tippy Tappy Football : “Pep is the one that got away. I sat in his flat in Barcelona when he was going to replace Fernando Hierro.

"But Pep chose not to come to Bolton. I didn’t think he would remember that when we met, but obviously he did, and I’ve kept in contact. We said we’d like you to come and play for us and met him in Barcelona, but it never went any further than that.

Pep Guardiola (L) was touted as Fernando Hierro's (R) replacement at Bolton Wanderers by Sam Allardyce. (KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

"So it wasn’t like [Robert] Lewandowski, who I nearly signed at Blackburn. It was more of a question: do you want to come and play in the best league in the world?"

Guardiola has previously hailed his managerial rival. Two years ago, before City beat West Brom 5-0, the Spaniard said: "Sam Allardyce is a genius to take these teams, when everybody believes it's over, and get results. When it happens once, twice or three times you can say, 'Okay it's lucky', but it's not the case because he has done it, I don't know, many times."

Guardiola went on to play for Mexican side Dorados in Cancun for the 2005/06 season, with that being the last season of his playing career. He then went on to take the Barcelona B manager's job in 2007/08 before being elevated to the top job in 2008/09, winning an historic treble in his first season.

Following two Champions League wins and ten league titles in his 15 year managerial career, he is chasing a first treble since his first season as a manager in this campaign. His meeting with Allardyce will be part of that pursuit this weekend, with a win crucial to keep Arsenal at arm's length in the title race.

Will Freeman