"I think what I admire most is that Pep is a young coach, who has changed the way you play the club," Ferguson said in his press conference prior to the final of the Champions League against Barca champion tournament in 2009. Incidentally, the coach revealed that once tried to sign Pep as a player for Manchester, they were at Brescia. "I wanted to sign Guardiola as a player. I talked to his agent, but he went to Italy," he said.