Manchester City vs. Bayern: The story of the dinners where Guardiola predicted that Tuchel was his heir

On the historic street Odeonsplatz, in Munich, is Schumann’s American Bar, a tavern created in 1982 by the German legend Charles Schumann and inspired by the iconic American bars. The place has been a meeting place for writers, artists, actors… and two soccer geniuses. It was the last days of 2014. Sitting at one of the tables, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel They chatted for the first time. The Catalan was in his second season at the helm of Bayern Munich, while the German was resting after five successful years at the helm of Mainz 05. Almost a decade later, the coaches made another appointment, this time they will not sit face to face, but each one will be in your technical zone. The Spaniard directing the Manchester City and the German against Bayern Munich in the first leg duel for the quarterfinals of the 2022-23 Champions League.

“Hey Pep. I’m meeting Thomas Tuchel tonight. Won’t you come with me?”. The invitation came from michael reschkeone of the most important men in the planning of Bayern Munich between 2014 and 2017, according to a report by the journalist who covers the Bundesliga Juanma Romero. He needed to know what he was failing in order to find a solution and improve his team’s game.

The German was an admirer of Guardiola, like almost all the young coaches who were beginning to take their first steps in the Bundesliga. During his time in Germany, the Catalan exposed a huge flow of innovative ideas, concepts and foundations that, accompanied by titles, not only generated debate, but also a powerful effect of learning and imitation. technicians like Julian Nagelsman, andre schubert and his own Thuchel They were influenced by the creator of the best Barcelona in history.

, Reschke revealed some time later about that first contact, as quoted by ESPN. Prior to dinner in Munich, they had already met twice. Bayern won on both occasions by 4-1 and 2-0. They knew each other, they admired each other, they chatted in passing at the Allianz Arena and at the Coface Arena; but never as intimately as that cold night.

Anyone who happened to be in Schumann’s Bar will not forget the scene. Two men talking passionately about soccer, stirring glasses, salt and pepper shakers, positioned on the table as if they were players on the grass and could move. “Legend says that the waiters were afraid to approach the table at the end of the evening”tweeted the Spanish journalist Juanma Romerospecialist in the Bundesliga.

“He was a big influence on me. If you go out with Pep, why not talk about football?Tuchel saidwho at that time was living a sabbatical waiting for a new proposal, which would arrive a few months after Borussia Dortmund. “I’m not going to say much, but it was [una conversación] about positions on the field and what he did in Barcelona. He explained it to me and we made some drawings on the table to explain the question of positioning and tactical situations ”continued.

“We talked about how Barcelona changed when they bought Cesc Fàbregas, what changed in the team. How to fit Lionel Messi as a false 9, how to create space, to play with a line of three or four behind. We talked and used what was on the table. Sometimes it’s easy to explain tactics using an object.”he added.

For Reschke it was quite an experience:.

For a second meeting, in the same bar, there was another guest: Peter Hermann, second coach of Schalke 04. After sharing the table with Guardiola and Tuchel, he recognized Reschke: “I always thought I knew a lot about football, but the knowledge these two have and the way they talk about the games is crazy.”. Nothing more is known about this encounter.

Already in April 2015, Thomas Tuchel replaced Jürgen Klopp as coach of the Borussia Dortmund. Despite already being Pep’s direct rival, there was another dinner between the two, one in which the Catalan would confirm that yes, the German is his potential heir.

We had dinner?

The third meeting, after dinner, between Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel It took place in October 2015. Also in Munich, although this time not in a bar. On his first visit to the Allianz Arena with Borussia Dortmund, on date 8 of the Bundesliga, the German saw how his team was beaten by the Bavarian might: 5-1. However, when they were saying goodbye in the hallway of the stadium locker room, Tuchel made a request to Pep. The conversation, short but crucial, was revealed in the book “Pep Guardiola. The metamorphosis” by the Spanish journalist Martí Perarnau:

-How do you have next week? Could we have dinner sometime?

-Yes, of course, Tuesday I’m free. Call me and we’ll set up.

Despite the bulky victory, Pep felt full admiration for Tuchel. He said it at the press conference after the game and repeated it in private before Doménec Torrent and Manel Estiarte, both very close to the coach. The first was his analyst at Barça and assistant coach at Bayern and in his first seasons at Manchester City. The second, since 2016, is part of his coaching staff. The admirer also became admired. In fact, when Pep went to England (2016), he wanted Tuchel to take command of Bayern, something that curiously just happened a few weeks ago, seven years later than the Spaniard thought. Michael Reschke revealed what Guardiola told him at a dinner.

“If Germany adopts the positional game it will be mainly thanks to Tuchel”, praised the Spanish, in a sentence published in the book “Pep Guardiola. Metamorphosis”.

When the German took the reins at Chelsea (January this year), after being sacked by PSG with whom he reached the Champions League final last year, Pep did not hesitate to praise him again. , he declared himself as a visionary.

Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel They will see each other again this Wednesday afternoon, although in different conditions. The Etihad Stadium will be the stage for the coaches to discuss football but without speaking to each other, but rather in a tactical battle. Who will win?

This is how the history goes between the two: 3 wins for Guardiola, 2 draws and two wins for Tuchel: