Germany, Bavaria, Bayern Munich Club.
The German Telekom Cup's invitation for them to participate was nothing more than a minor matter to Bayern.
They did not care much about it. Compared to the Telekom Cup, what truly mattered to them was the team's performance next season!
The Bundesliga giants had performed terribly over the past few seasons. They had gone two years without a trophy.
Last season, they were swept by their direct rivals Dortmund in the league, then suffered a crushing 5-2 defeat to the same opponents in the German Cup final. Dortmund had completely dominated them from start to finish.
For Bayern Munich, this was simply an unbearable humiliation!
If their league disappointment could be exchanged for a Champions League trophy, then it would not have been entirely unacceptable.
But sadly, they had come away empty-handed in the Champions League as well.
They fell in the Round of 16 in the 2010-2011 season, then fell in the final in the 2011-2012 season...
Bayern really wanted to write a huge "miserable" on the ground...
Fortunately, under veteran manager Heynckes, the team's form had steadily improved.
Reaching the Champions League final last season was already solid proof. Given a little more time, he would surely lead Bayern back to the summit.
But under such circumstances, Heynckes suddenly began considering retirement, catching everyone at Bayern off guard.
Bayern Munich understood very well just how important a good manager was.
The renowned manager Van Gaal they had previously hired had led the team to the worst start in its history, with the side collapsing across the league, cup, and Champions League.
The furious club dismissed him before the season even ended and brought veteran manager Heynckes back.
The facts proved that the old manager suited Bayern better.
After Heynckes took over, he not only halted the decline but also led Bayern into the Champions League final.
Had their luck not been slightly worse and had they not lost to Chelsea in the Penalty Shootout, the team would have lifted the Champions League trophy last year.
This season, Bayern's young players had matured further, and the team's tactical system had become increasingly refined.
They were determined to win both the league title and even the Champions League title this season. If they could claim those two major trophies, it would mark Bayern's return to Europe's elite.
Yet just as they were brimming with ambition and preparing to rebuild the Bayern dynasty, Heynckes was actually planning to retire.
Everyone at Bayern was at a loss!
Heynckes had been born in 1945, and at sixty-seven, he was indeed getting on in years.
But Sir Ferguson, Manchester United's manager, was four years older than him and had not retired. The old manager could surely stay for a few more years!
Facing club chairman Rummenigge, who had come to persuade him, the veteran manager shook his head.
"Chairman Rummenigge, thank you for trying to keep me and for your tremendous support over the years.
"But I have already made my decision. You know I am not someone who enjoys living in the spotlight.
"At sixty-eight, I am getting a little too old. If I continue leading the team in competitions, I am afraid these old bones will not be able to take it.
"Besides, while I can still move around, I want to retire, go home, grow some flowers and plants, and enjoy country life.
"So please do not try to persuade me any further. I promise you that I will see out this season in full. I will not leave the team until the final match of the season is over.
"During that time, you will have enough time to contact other outstanding managers, hear their coaching philosophies, and find the person most suitable for Bayern.
"Of course, if necessary, I can offer you some references and advice."
Heynckes was merely giving the club advance notice so it could prepare ahead of time.
Otherwise, if he suddenly announced his retirement next year and the club had not found a suitable successor, Bayern would certainly be thrown into chaos.
Hearing Heynckes's words, Rummenigge was deeply disappointed.
How could a good manager be so easy to find?
Most of the best managers in football already had jobs. Trying to poach one would probably not be easy.
Although Bayern could throw their weight around in the Bundesliga, among the Top Five Leagues, their financial resources could not compare with those Giant Clubs.
Therefore, the moment he heard that Heynckes intended to retire, Rummenigge developed a massive headache.
He even considered bringing back Hitzfeld, the club legend who was coaching Switzerland's national team, but quickly rejected the idea.
The team's poor results before had already proven that Hitzfeld's methods were outdated and no longer suited the current team.
He needed a manager with outstanding coaching ability and a unique understanding of the latest tactical trends in football, especially Tiki-taka.
"Chairman, there is someone who seems to fit our requirements quite well. He also happens to be currently unemployed and resting at home. Why don't we send him an invitation and get in touch with him?"
Upon hearing Rummenigge's requirements, club manager Uli Hoeneß immediately thought of someone.
He had also heard rumors that this person had visited Germany a few months ago. He did not know whether he had received a coaching offer from a Bundesliga club.
If that was the case, it proved that the other party might be willing to coach in the Bundesliga.
Apart from Dortmund, Bayern feared no one in the entire Bundesliga, and Dortmund's Klopp would not be packing up and leaving anytime soon.
Therefore, the club inviting that man could not be Dortmund. As long as it was not Dortmund, Bayern was fully confident it could snatch him away.
"Who?"
Rummenigge asked curiously.
"Barcelona's former manager, Guardiola!"
"Him?!"
The moment Rummenigge heard that name, his eyes lit up!
There were quite a few top managers in football today, but only two stood at the very center of attention: Guardiola and Mourinho!
Whether in ability or reputation, both belonged to the absolute pinnacle of football, especially the former.
The Tiki-taka system pioneered by Guardiola had swept through football in recent years and become something imitated around the world.
If they invited him to manage Bayern Munich and brought Barcelona's methods to Bayern, would Bayern not soar immediately?
The thought made Rummenigge unable to suppress the excitement in his heart.
Now only one final question remained: "Would Guardiola accept our invitation?"
He was not very confident. Guardiola had even left Barcelona behind—would he accept Bayern's invitation?
The Bundesliga was far less competitive than La Liga, and its commercial development was not strong enough either, so its appeal to top managers had never been particularly great.
"Will we know if we do not try? I heard that his adopted son plays in the Bundesliga, and that team happens to be our opponent in next month's Telekom Cup.
"I think we can invite him in the name of watching the Telekom Cup match. Once he arrives, Chairman, you can personally meet with him and show him our sincerity. Whether it works out will depend on the outcome of the talks between both sides."
Hoeness had clearly prepared very thoroughly. He had even investigated Lin Quan's relationship with Guardiola and the fact that Lin Quan played in the Bundesliga.
Clearly, the idea of inviting Guardiola to coach Bayern was not a spur-of-the-moment thought. It had been in the works for quite some time.
Rummenigge stared at Hoeness for several seconds. Afterward, the two exchanged a knowing smile.
"I'll leave this matter to you. Don't mess it up!"
A word about updates.
Many readers have been urging me to update, saying that I am updating too slowly. I have to admit that I really do not post much—only two chapters a day.
Although I do not write very quickly, I still have some chapters saved up.
Unfortunately, this is still the new-book period, so I do not dare post too much. I have not yet received a trial recommendation, and normally, one should get one at thirty or forty thousand words. I am already at eighty thousand words, more than a week late.
If I update too much at this point, the later recommendations may not even finish before I reach the word count for premium release.
So even if I have saved chapters, I can only hold onto them until the premium release, when I can post a burst of updates. Please understand.
During this period, I will save up more chapters and explode with updates when the book goes premium. At least ten chapters will be guaranteed on that day.
Of course, everyone can still urge me to update. One extra chapter for every 5,000 Qidian Coins in rewards, and one extra chapter for every 100 monthly tickets.
Enough talking, I am going to write now. I will try to save up several dozen, maybe even a hundred chapters!
Before you continue