Pep Guardiola Contacted by Real Madrid Before Manchester City, Says Biographer

Real Madrid reportedly tried to hire Pep Guardiola as their manager at the end of 2015, but the move was immediately shut down as being "out of the question." 

The former Barcelona boss left Bayern Munich to join Manchester City as Manuel Pellegrini's successor in the summer after three seasons in charge of the Bundesliga giants.

However, Los Blancos reportedly contacted Guardiola and his representatives when struggling under Rafael Benitez last November and attempted to get him to move to the Santiago Bernabeu, according to the Spaniard's friend and biographer Marti Perarnau, per Cadena Ser (via Ed Malyon in the Mirror):

"Real Madrid called Pep Guardiola to try and tempt him last November, before they sacked Benitez. Madrid contacted [Josep Maria] Orobitg, Guardiola's agent, in order to try and contract him. But from the start it was out of the question. I was there."

It is no surprise Guardiola gave little consideration to taking the Real job. It would have been a hugely controversial move across Spain's El Clasico divide for the man largely responsible for much of Barcelona's recent success.

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During his managerial reign at the Camp Nou between 2008 and 2012, Guardiola won three La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues, establishing Barca firmly as the dominant force in Spanish football.

He inflicted some bruising defeats on Real, including 2010's 5-0 drubbing of a Jose Mourinho-led side at the Camp Nou.

Real eventually appointed Zinedine Zidane as Benitez's successor after sacking the Spaniard in January, and the former playmaker led Los Blancos to a second Champions League triumph in three seasons.

The Madrid giants have started the new campaign in excellent fashion and sit top of La Liga after nine matches, two points ahead of Barcelona.

Guardiola, meanwhile, started brilliantly in his early days in charge of City but has been struggling of late to earn victories, most recently losing to Manchester United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday:

City lost 4-0 to Guardiola's former club Barca in the Champions League earlier this month, and the two sides face off again at the Etihad Stadium next week.

It is arguably a must-win clash for the Sky Blues if they are to avoid a potentially embarrassing group-stage exit from Europe's top-tier competition.