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Pep Guardiola considered playing goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in midfield while manager of Bayern Munich , the club’s CEO has revealed.
Guardiola managed Bayern between 2013 and 2016 and enjoyed considerable success, winning three consecutive Bundesliga titles.
And Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has now revealed that he had to convince Guardiola against playing his World Cup winning goalkeeper in midfield.
Rummenigge said in the foreword for the club’s official magazine ‘51 : “Manuel invented the art of being a footballer as a goalkeeper and revolutionised this position.
“I still remember how Pep Guardiola, after winning a championship, seriously came up with the idea of putting him in midfield for a game.”
Show all 17 1 /17Champions League round-of-16 clubs Champions League round-of-16 clubs Champions League - Round of 16 Who are favourites to win this year's competition?
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 16. Lyon French side have endured a miserable season domestically, currently languishing in 11th, and face Serie A champions Juventus without star attackers Memphis Depay and Jeff Reine-Adelaide.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 15. Napoli Gennaro Gattuso's side are still in transition after the departure of Carlo Ancelotti and come up against the fearsome task of facing Barcelona.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 14. Valencia The unlikely winners of Group H could certainly come through against Atalanta, however, they lack the depth to make a serious bid for a place in Istanbul and are currently without striker Rodrigo.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 13. Atalanta It's been an incredible story for the Bergamo-based minnows in their debut in the competition. Duvan Zapata's return provides a huge boost and they are slender favourites against Valencia, however, it would require something monumental to reach the latter stages.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 12. Chelsea Frank Lampard's side are struggling after defeat by Manchester United, with a lack of cohesion in defence and failing firepower in attack. Add the injuries to Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic and their chances against Bayern Munich seem extremely poor.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 11. Borussia Dortmund Lucien Favre's side are extremely dangerous, with teenagers Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland grabbing the headlines. However, a last-16 tie against PSG provides an almighty test.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 10. Tottenham Hotspur Jose Mourinho lives for this competition and these knockout ties. Even without Harry Kane, he may just have the cunning to outwit Leipzig, but it will be a hard sell.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 9. RB Leipzig Come into their tie against Tottenham in tremendous form, with Timo Werner one of Europe's most prolific striker. However, their focus on a first Bundesliga title could inhibit their chances in Europe.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 8. Atletico Madrid Diego Simeone's side are evolving but still have the DNA of his great, horrible sides that proved to be a tough out in seasons before. However, the task of unseating champions Liverpool will be seriously difficult.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 7. Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane has already won the competition three times as Real Madrid manager - but a tie against a fired-up, potentially last European saloon City leaves them as underdogs.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 6. Juventus Champions should be able to sweep aside Lyon in the last-16, however, there has been recent unrest under Maurizio Sarri with the club showing few improvements since Max Allegri's departure.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 5. Bayern Munich Have been resurgent under Hansi Flick with Robert Lewandowski in unstoppable form. They should be able to break down Chelsea's defence and enter the last-eight as serious contenders.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 4. Paris Saint-Germain Face a tough test against Dortmund but, with Neymar back - and happy, the club are better-placed than ever to finally clinch a coveted European crown.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 3. Barcelona Haven't quite been at their best this season but will raise their levels as the tournament progresses and will be desperate to redeem their loss at Anfield last season. Luis Suarez's absence will be sorely felt, though.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 2. Manchester City Remain favourites, despite the commotion caused by the club's Uefa ban. With their Premier League hopes extinguished, Pep Guardiola's side will be more determined than ever to break their European duck.
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Champions League round-of-16 clubs 1. Liverpool Undefeated in the Premier League, with the title already wrapped up, Europe's most in-form team can dedicate all their efforts to securing back-to-back trophies.
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However, Rummenigge warned Guardiola against the idea because he didn’t want teams thinking Bayern were arrogant
“I found it difficult to dissuade Pep from this idea, which some of us felt might be interpreted as arrogance. But I am convinced that Manu would have done well in midfield, too.”
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