Pep Guardiola is Heading to...

I’m sure so many in the football world are surprised if not shocked of Pep Guardiola’s choice when he decided to manage a football club away from England. Everyone knows that Pep took a season long sabbatical after winning 14 trophies when he was the coach of Spanish giants Barcelona. It was Barca’s most successful seasons, winning almost trophy there is and became a dominant football club anywhere else. And as the 2012 season coming half way, the clock is ticking for him to reveal which club he will manage in 2013. 

Then comes the announcement which you all know already that it didn’t came from any English club, the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City who both have been linked and much to the latter as Man City had recently signed two of Guardiola’s former colleagues at Barca. 

It was the German club Bayern Munich who will get the services and expertise of Josep “Pep” Guardiola. He will be tied up with The Bavarians as he signed a three-year contract that will run until 2016. Pep will replace the current coach Jupp Heynckes when he decided last December not to extend his contract beyond the end of the current season. It was during that time also, before Christmas that Pep agreed to join the Bundesliga giants until, at least, 2016.

NB: Image from wikimedia commons.

Guardiola Calls it a Day

Pep Guardiola calls it a day, raised the white flag and leaves Barca at the end of the season. The decision was made final during Barcelona’s press conference and appointed Guardiola’s assistant Tito Vilanova as his replacement. I think Barca players didn’t expect him to quit and would most likely to continue coaching them in the next season or so. But with Pep not renewing his contract before this stage of the season, it probably is a sign that he is ready to walk away from Barcelona.

There are so many speculations regarding his future after steering Barca to thirteen (13) titles since he started managing in 2008. With the La Liga is far beyond their reach, they might be able to add one more when they face Athletic Bilbao in the finals of Copa de Rey next month. Although there are still four games remaining before the season concludes and statistically it is not impossible to still grab the driver seat from arch rivals Real Madrid yet many believe that the El Clasico loss was the turning point.

Nobody really knows what’s inside the mind of Pep and that if he really wanted to call it a day. Did he plan it out? Like a long way back when Barca is still trailing Madrid with a massive ten points? Did he saw it coming? Or was it because of the aftermath of El Clasico and Champions League semi-final defeats? No one knows, only Pep Guardiola knows.

NB: Image from wikimedia commons.