Rummenigge has revealed the extraordinary lengths the club went to secure the signing of Guardiola in 2013, labelling the covert operation a “masterpiece of discretion” that was finalised during a secret trip to New York. He was perhaps the most in-demand coach in world football as he opted to take a sabbatical after leaving Barcelona with two Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns to his name. It was Bayern who swooped in to lure him back to management, though keeping the media and rival clubs in the dark was a bit of a struggle.
In an interview with German publication Kicker Rummenigge disclosed that the deal to bring the then-unattached former Barcelona coach to Bavaria was known only to a tiny inner circle. So tight was the secrecy that even the club’s sporting director at the time, Matthias Sammer, was kept in the dark until late in the process.
“Nothing ever came out because we kept it completely under wraps,” Rummenigge explained. “I only told Matthias Sammer, the sporting director at the time, very late on. You have to imagine that – a masterpiece of discretion.”
The plan was initially known only to Rummenigge and former board member Karl Hopfner, before then-president Uli Hoeness was brought into the fold. With the contract ready just before Christmas 2012, the club needed to get Guardiola’s signature while he was on a sabbatical in New York.
“Uli said he would be in Chicago the next week, from where he could then travel on to New York,” Rummenigge recalled. Hoeness made the trip to meet Guardiola and finalise the sensational appointment. Rummenigge recounted receiving the confirmation call while in a bar, stepping out into the freezing cold to ensure nobody could overhear the conversation. “I was terribly afraid that someone would listen in. I wanted to keep this deal under wraps until the last day. Then Uli and Pep said that I should order a glass of champagne because everything was sorted.”
The appointment was made even more remarkable by the fact that Guardiola was signed to replace Jupp Heynckes, who would go on to lead Bayern to a historic treble of the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League in that same season. Rummenigge admitted it was an “unpleasant task” to inform the beloved Heynckes in January that Guardiola would be arriving in the summer.
“We were happy for Jupp… that we gave him the farewell he deserved,” Rummenigge said. “He loved FC Bayern very much and brought us great success. We are extremely grateful to him for that.”
Guardiola went on to win three consecutive Bundesliga titles with Bayern, implementing a dominant style of play before departing for Manchester City in 2016. While the Champions League eluded him in Munich, his tenure is remembered for its tactical innovation and domestic success. Bayern continued their dominance after his departure, notably winning the Champions League again in 2020, underlining the seamless transition of power that began with that secret trip to New York.
