Brazil star reveals
Neymar canceled Guardiola near Bavaria in underpants
28.02.2025 – 9:14 a.m.Reading time: 1 min.
Almost twelve years ago, Pep Guardiola became head coach at Bayern. And the Spaniard had a prominent player in view as a newcomer.
That would have been pleased with the fans of the German record champion: Brazil’s football star Neymar was apparently about to join FC Bayern Munich. The 33-year-old spoke in an interview with the “Podpah” podcast about the option over ten years ago and explained: “I thought about it.” The surprising encounter with Pep Guardiola took place in 2013.
On the eve of the world football gala in Zurich, Guardiola suddenly stood in front of his hotel room, Neymar reported. The surprised Brazilian received Guardiola-dressed only with underpants and T-shirt. The attacker remembered: “I open the room door, and Guardiola and my father stand in front of me.” The then successful coach, who took a break after four years at FC Barcelona, said to him: “I want to take you with me where I go.” A few days later it became known that Guardiola would be the new coach of FC Bayern.
Guardiola apparently wanted to make Neymar the best player in the world and promised him 60 goals per season. The offensive star considered, but in the end he decided on Barça. “I wanted to play Messi with (Lionel),” said Neymar, who had already promised the Catalans at that time. He also received an offer from Real Madrid – with “blank checks”, as he called it. Bayern then no longer played a role in his considerations. Today, Neymar is under contract with his youth club FC Santos in Brazil.