Neymar admits to nearly joining Bayern Munich in 2013

By SABC Sport
28th February 2025

Neymar has disclosed that he nearly swapped the beaches of Brazil for the Bavarian chill of Munich back in 2013, all thanks to a persuasive pitch from Pep Guardiola.

Speaking on the Brazilian podcast Podpah, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar shared a tantalising tale of what might have been, when Guardiola, then on the cusp of taking the Bayern Munich reins, tried to lure him to Germany.

Neymar, who was dazzling defences with Santos at the time, recounted a late-night phone call that almost changed his career trajectory. "I was in Switzerland to receive the Puskas award, sitting in my room, when my father called me at 2am," Neymar said.

"My father, Guardiola, and a translator were there. Guardiola told me he wanted to take me to the club he was joining. He said he'd do his best for me."

Guardiola rolled out the red carp - or rather, a laptop and some paper - laying out his vision. "He said if I didn't score 60 goals in a year, he'd change teams," Neymar recalled. "I asked which club, and after I begged him, he admitted it was Bayern.

"He warned me it was cold, not like Barcelona or Madrid, but promised to look after me and make me the best."

Despite the tempting offer, Neymar opted for Barcelona, where he'd spend four stellar years before moving to Paris Saint-Germain, then Al-Hilal, and now back at Santos.

Guardiola, meanwhile, led Bayern Munich from 2013 to 2016, winning three Bundesliga titles before heading to Manchester City. The Spaniard's knack for spotting talent was evident, but Neymar's decision left Bayern fans wondering what could have been.

Fast forward to today, and Bayern Munich are in the thick of a Bundesliga battle. Ahead of their clash with Stuttgart on Friday night, coach Vincent Kompany is weighing his defensive options, according to TZ.

Eric Dier and Kim Min-jae, who anchored the backline in Bayern's 4-0 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt last week, could start again, with Dayot Upamecano still nursing a back injury.

Kompany's men face a crunch Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen next Wednesday, so they're unlikely to rush the Frenchman back. Hiroki Ito, who's been solid at left-back in Bayern's last two league outings, offers another option in the centre.