Guardiola to leave FC Barcelona on June 30th
Tito Vilanova, Guardiola’s assistant, will take over and become Barça’s next Manager. Pep Guardiola has announced to FC Barcelona’s President and the squad that he will not be staying at FC Barcelona after June 30, when his present contract ends. Guardiola justified his decision is “worn out and empty” after 4 years being the coach of the best team in the world. He emphasised that Barça’s Manager needs to be full of energy and therefore, the best for the club is he stepping down. The club’s President expressed his “eternal gratitude” to Guardiola’s job.
Barcelona (FCB).- Pep Guardiola is leaving Barça on June 30th after 4 years in charge of FC Barcelona’s first team. Guardiola’s assistant, Tito Vilanova, will be Barça’s next Manager. Guardiola announced his decision this Friday morning to Barça President Sandro Rosell and the squad. Afterwards, Rosell, Guardiola and Zubizarreta (the club’s Sports Director) gave a press conference in the Ricard Maxenchs pressroom in the Camp Nou. It was a massive event, attended by members of the board of directors, the first-team captains and a large number of journalists.
“I’m worn out, I’m empty”
Sandro Rosell delivered the Manager’s decision to world. He went on to express his “eternal gratitude” to the coach for the “happiness” he has given FC Barcelona by “perfecting the footballing model that can no longer be questioned in the future.” The President described Guardiola as “the best manager in the history of the Club.” Guardiola, who regretted the year-long uncertainty regarding his decision, said that he’s leaving the Manager position mainly because he’s fatigued, but that he has the “feeling that I did a good job.”
Rosell then announced who the next Barcelona manager will be, a decision made by the coaching staff and ratified by the Board. Tito Vilanova is the chosen man, and Andoni Zubizarreta explained the reasons why. Vilanova thus becomes the seventeenth Catalan manager of the Barça first team.
Four years at the top
13 titles won and a 70% win rate are just a few of Pep Guardiola’s stats since his took charge of FC Barcelona’s first team. Pep Guardiola started his career on the bench in 2007 when he took charge of Barça B when the team was in the Spanish Third Division. A year later, after having led the reserve side to Second Division B, the Catalan took the reins from Frank Rijkaard as the first-team manager. In his over 200 matches at the FC Barcelona helm he won 13 titles.
Guardiola’s numbers as FC Barcelona’s Manager
PEP GUARDIOLA'S TOTAL NUMBERS
- Matches: 242
- Victories: 175
- Draws: 46
- Defeats: 21
- Goals scored: 618 (2,55 per match)
- Goals conceded: 178 (0,73 per match)
- Winning % : 72,31%
PEP GUARDIOLA IN LA LIGA
- Titles: 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11
- Matches: 148
- Victories: 113
- Draws: 24
- Defeats: 11
- Winning % in 08-09: 71%
- Winning % in 09-10: 81,5%
- Winning % in 10-11: 78,9%
- Winning % in 11-12: 73,5%
PEP GUARDIOLA IN THE KING'S CUP
- Titles: 2008/09
- Matches: 30
- Victories: 21
- Draws: 6
- Defeats: 3
PEP GUARDIOLA IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
- Titles: 2008/09 i 2010/11
- Matches: 52
- Victories: 31
- Draws: 15
- Defeats: 6
PEP GUARDIOLA: Other competitions (European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, Club World Cup)
- Spanish Super Cup Titles: 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12
- European Super Cup Titles: 2009/10 and 2011/12
- Club World Cup Titles: 2009/10 and 2011/12
- Matches: 12
- Victories: 10
- Draws: 1
- Defeats: 1
Honours as Manager
- 2011 FIFA Best Manager of the Year
- Best manager in 2009 and 2011 according to the IFFHS
- ONZE d’Or as best European manger in 2009 and 2011
- Best LFP manager in 2009 and 2011
- World's best manager according to World Soccer in 2009 and 2011
- Royal Order of Athletic Merit 2010
- Gold medal from the Parlament de Catalunya
- 2009 Catalan of the year
- Santpedor's favourite son in 2009