“I rejected Barcelona”

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​Jupp Heynckes has revealed he was once offered the chance to manage Barcelona but rejected it on the grounds of loyalty.

The 72-year-old is back in the managerial game as the head coach of Bayern Munich after four years out, and he is tasked with steadying the ship after a choppy start to the new season made by the giants.

Jupp Heynckes Returns To Bayern Muenchen As Head Coach

Carlo Ancelotti bit the dust on September 28th after a 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, prompting Bavarian officials to plump for their old treble-winning boss to get things back on track as an interim replacement till the end of the season.

Speaking during his press conference on Monday, Heynckes revealed that he might have managed Barcelona back in 1996.

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He said, as quoted by ​Sport: “Bayern Munich have helped my career. Without Bayern, I would never have coached Real Madrid. In 1996, I had an offer from Barcelona, but I rejected it because I have never broken a contract. At that time I was at Tenerife. I always had principles.”

Heynckes’ show of loyalty saw Barca instead appoint the late Sir Bobby Robson for a single season where he delivered a treble, before the club brought in Louis van Gaal.
Bayern supporters will be desperate to see Heynckes hit the ground running as interim manager, with Borussia Dortmund sitting pretty at the top of the Bundesliga after an impressive start.

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