Guardiola signed Bayern deal in December, reveals agent

Jan 16, 2013 10:20:00 PM

Josep Maria Orobitg has said clubs offered the former Barcelona boss more money, but the Bavarians were the ideal option for the sought-after coach who has signed a three-year deal

Pep Guardiola’s agent has revealed the former Barcelona boss agreed a deal to join Bayern Munich back in December.

Guardiola stood down at the climax of the last campaign for the Blaugrana and has been on a year sabbatical, but on Wednesday afternoon it was announced he would return to football at the Bundesliga club.

However, Josep Maria Orobitg has said the ink on the contract dried weeks ago, while revealing the Bavarians were the best club to have bid for the Spaniard, despite having been approached by teams offering more money.

"[Guardiola signed] around December 20," the representative told EFE Radio on Wednesday evening.

“He chose Bayern because they were the best team of all the ones he had offers from.

“We went over the offers and Bayern are not the team which offered the most money.

“He chose them because of their organisation, and because of the potential he sees and because of their footballers.”

Orobitg claimed Roma and AC Milan were interested in Guardiola, but was quick to shoot down some of the rumours that had circulated about the former Camp Nou coach.

"There were contacts with clubs that were close, and others that were put on hold until a decision would be taken,” he added.

"Everybody was saying that there were offers, meetings which happened, meetings which didn't, trips that didn't exist ... a lot was written."

Despite Guardiola having signed prior to the Ballon d’Or - around the start of the Bundesliga winter break - the news has not become public knowledge until Wednesday, and Guardiola’s agent confessed the decision to make an announcement this soon from Bayern came as a surprise.

“It's all been signed for some time, [but] I didn't know that it was going to be announced [Wednesday] afternoon,” Orobitg explained.

"In fact, I was told at 12.00 and they said we'd only talk about what came out in the statement. It is a lie that there was a leak. They wanted to take the decision today.

“Yesterday, the club were denying it, but when a lot of people start to know it's impossible to keep up with it; then you've got to tell the sponsors and organise things. These are really serious people.”