Bayern Munich's Invitation
In Germany, in the state of Bavaria, there is the Bayern Munich football club.
Being invited to participate in the German Telekom Cup is seen as a minor matter for Bayern Munich.
They are not very concerned about it, as their focus is more on the team's performance in the next season rather than the Telekom Cup matches!
For the past few seasons, the performance of this German giant has been quite poor, as they have been without a title for two years.
Last season, they were defeated by their direct competitor Borussia Dortmund in the league matches, and then suffered a 2-5 loss in the German Cup final, being completely dominated by Borussia Dortmund.
For Bayern Munich, this is truly a great shame!
If the disappointment in the league can be compensated with a championship trophy in the Champions League, that would be acceptable.
Unfortunately, the team has had no success in the Champions League either.
They were knocked out in the round of 16 in the 2010-2011 season and then lost in the final in the 2011-2012 season...
Bayern Munich felt like writing a big "tragic" word on the ground...
Fortunately, under the guidance of the old coach Heynckes, the team's form has steadily improved.
Reaching the Champions League final last season was already a good sign, and with more time, he is believed to lead Bayern back to the top.
However, in this situation, Heynckes has unexpectedly considered retirement, catching Bayern off guard.
The importance of a good coach is well understood by Bayern Munich.
Previously, when they brought in the famous coach Van Gaal, the team had the worst start in its history, suffering defeats in the league, cup matches, and the Champions League.
The furious club didn't even wait for the season to end before firing him and rehiring the old coach Heynckes.
It turned out that the old coach was indeed more suited for Bayern.
After Heynckes took charge, the team not only stopped the decline but also reached the Champions League final.
If luck had been a bit better, they would have had the Champions League trophy last year if not for losing in the penalty shootout to Chelsea.
This season, Bayern's young players have further developed, and the team's tactics have become more mature.
They are aiming for both the league and Champions League titles this season. If they can win these two important trophies, it would symbolize Bayern's return to the top level in Europe.
However, just when they were full of ambition and planning to rebuild the Bayern dynasty, Heynckes unexpectedly decided to retire.
This decision has left everyone at Bayern in a state of confusion!
Heynckes, born in 1945, is now 67 years old, and his age is indeed getting up there.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, who is four years older, has not retired yet. A great coach can still stay active for a few more years, right?!
Facing the persuasion of the club chairman Rummenigge, Heynckes shook his head:
"Chairman Rummenigge, I appreciate your efforts to convince me and your strong support over the years.
However, I have already made my decision. You know I'm not someone who enjoys living in the spotlight.
At the age of 68, I feel it's a bit too much for me. Continuing to lead the team to play, I'm afraid my old bones won't be able to take it.
Moreover, I want to retire and go back home to enjoy gardening while I can still move around.
So, please don't try to convince me anymore. I promise you, that I will complete this season. I will leave the team only after the last match of this season.
During this time, you will have enough time to contact other excellent coaches, listen to their coaching philosophies, and find the most suitable candidate for Bayern.
Of course, if necessary, I can provide you with some references and advice."
Heynckes just wanted to inform the club in advance so that they could prepare accordingly.
Otherwise, if he suddenly announced his retirement next year and the club hadn't found a suitable successor, Bayern would surely be in a mess.
Upon hearing Heynckes' words, Rummenigge was very disappointed.
Isn't it hard to find a good coach?
In today's football world, the best coaches are already committed, and poaching them is not that easy.
Although Bayern might dominate in the Bundesliga, they cannot match the financial power of those top-tier clubs in the five major leagues.
Therefore, when they heard about Heynckes' retirement plans, Rummenigge felt extremely troubled.
He even thought about bringing back the legendary coach Hitzfeld from coaching the Swiss national team, but he quickly dismissed the idea.
The poor performance of the team before had proven that Hitzfeld's methods were outdated and no longer suited the current team.
He needed to find a coach with outstanding coaching ability, and a unique understanding of the latest tactics in football, especially possession tactics.
"Chairman, there seems to be someone who fits our requirements, and he's currently available, not working. Why don't we send him an invitation and meet him?"
Club manager Uli Hoeness, upon hearing Rummenigge's request, instantly thought of someone.
Moreover, he had heard rumors this person had visited Germany a few months ago, possibly receiving an offer to coach a Bundesliga team.
If that was the case, it proved that the person was possibly open to coaching in the Bundesliga.
Apart from Borussia Dortmund, Bayern wasn't afraid of anyone in the Bundesliga, and Dortmund's Klopp wasn't going to leave anytime soon.
So, the club inviting this person wouldn't be Borussia Dortmund. As long as it wasn't Borussia Dortmund, Bayern was confident in snatching him away.
"Who?" Rummenigge curiously asked.
"The former Barcelona coach, Guardiola!"
"Him?!"
On hearing this name, Rummenigge's eyes lit up!
In today's football world, there are many top coaches, but the biggest stars are only two: Guardiola and Mourinho!
Both of them, in terms of strength and popularity, belong to the top tier of football, especially the former.
Guardiola's creation of the possession system has been all the rage in football in recent years, becoming a role model for the whole world to follow.
Having him coach Bayern Munich, bringing Barcelona's style to Bayern, wouldn't that just elevate Bayern to new heights?
Thinking about this, Rummenigge couldn't contain his excitement.
Now there was just one last question: "Will Guardiola agree to our invitation?"
He was somewhat unsure; after all, if he rejected Barcelona, would he accept Bayern's invitation?
The competitive nature of the Bundesliga was not quite at the level of La Liga, and the commercial development wasn't quite as strong, so the attraction for top coaches had never been very strong.
"Why not give it a try? I heard his adopted son is playing in Bundesliga, and that team happens to be our opponent in the next month's Telekom Cup.
I think we can use the pretext of inviting him to watch the Telekom Cup matches. After he comes, you, Chairman, can personally meet with him, show him our sincerity, and see if we can achieve a mutually agreeable result through the meeting."
Hoeness's preparations were evidently very thorough, he even had already researched Lin and Guardiola's relationship, and his playing in the Bundesliga.
It was clear the idea of inviting Guardiola to coach wasn't an impulsive decision but a premeditated scheme.
Rummenigge looked at Hoeness for a few seconds and after that, the two of them looked at each other and smiled.
"This matter will be left to you to handle, don't mess it up!"