According to The Athletic, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich made six attempts between 2010 and 2016 to sign Pep Guardiola - only to get rejected every time.
As per the reports, Pep Guardiola is said to have been put off by Chelsea’s revolving door for managers in and out of Stamford Bridge, or as the former Barcelona manager reportedly put it: "the hiring and firing culture was not for him."
Chelsea have gone through ten managers since 2010, often sacking managers only months after major accomplishments such as Premier League and Champions League titles.
It is widely known that Pep Guardiola is a manager who believes in creating a lasting style and culture at a club. At Stamford Bridge, it has been nearly impossible for any manager to keep their job long enough to breed a lasting culture.
Manchester City however, were willing to give Guardiola the freedom to implement a culture within the club, from the backroom staff, youth teams and all the way through the senior team.
This was largely thanks to years of planning in preparation for the arrival of the legendary coach, with the recruitment and appointment of key figures within the Etihad hierarchy - namely Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano; who both knew Guardiola personally during their time at the Camp Nou.
The Catalan manager now finds himself at the tail end of his fifth season at the Etihad, the longest time he has spent at any club during his managerial career.
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