Former France and Lyon boss Rudi Garcia has said Manchester United turned him down after two interviews for the club's head coach role, but he still hopes to manage in England. Garcia came close to the job in 2021, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had just been dismissed and Garcia progressed through two rounds of interviews. The club instead put Ralf Rangnick in interim charge before appointing Erik ten Hag the following summer.

Garcia, 62, had a strong reputation at the time after guiding Lyon to the semi-finals of the 2019/20 Champions League, where they knocked out Manchester City. Lyon declined the following season and Garcia left after a fourth-place finish. He then managed Al Nassr, where he gave Cristiano Ronaldo his Saudi Pro League debut, before spells with Napoli and the Belgium national team.S1S2

Speaking to The Athletic, Garcia said he met Darren Fletcher, then technical director, and John Murtough, then football director, during the process. He said they asked what he would do once the interim period ended, and he replied that he would do so well he would stay in Manchester, but the job went to Rangnick. He added that his time at Napoli, where he was dismissed after four months by the president, had still been enjoyable.S1S2

Garcia previously told Le Figaro in 2022 about the importance of speaking the language of the country where a manager works. He recalled telling Murtough and Fletcher that he needed to improve his English, and said Fletcher joked that his Scottish-accented English was not yet good enough to answer, though it was very good. He said he had made his players take French lessons at Marseille and Lyon, and considers learning the local language a sign of respect.S1S2