It's been a sensational four seasons, but Pep Guardiola now appears on the brink of quitting last year's Champions League winners Barcelona.
Idolised as a player and now as a manager in Catalonia, the 41-year-old has guided Barca to three La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues, two Club World Cups and one Copa del Rey during his tenure as manager. The Blaugrana also face Athletic Bilbao in this term's King's Cup on 25 May.
However the politics which go hand-in-hand with managing one of the world's biggest and greatest clubs appear to have taken their toll on the former Spain international, who will hold a press conference today to clarify his future.
Guardiola has operated on a year-by-year basis as coach of his boyhood club, usually extending his stay for the following season around February/March time.
But his failure to do so yet this campaign has fuelled speculation he will not be Barca coach for 2012/13
The Guardian's man in Spain, Sid Lowe, reported Guardiola had a three-hour meeting with the club's president, Sandro Rosell, and the sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, as well as his agent José María Orobitg, on Wednesday morning to discuss his future.
Tellingly also, for a man who has lost just two clasicos in four seasons, Guardiola's assertion he had not enjoyed the Real-Barca battles was another hint at his willingness to leave the club.
When Barca won the Club World Cup in 2009 - completing a sextet of trophies that calendar year - he broke down on the Abu Dhabi pitch, overwhelmed with, and overcome by, his achievements as a top-flight manager in under 18 months.
That display of emotion, retrospectively, would further suggest how unlikely it was Guardiola would remain at the club whom he played for for 11 years.
Neither he nor Barca have confirmed his departure just yet, but that hasn't stopped Her Majesty's press from speculating on where Pep's next destination lies.
Last week Guardiola labelled the prospect of him managing Chelsea as a "fantasy", and given he is looking careworn enough managing one of the most successful clubs in recent times, giving Stamford Bridge a swerve would be prudent.
He will return to management, and his impeccable English makes the Premier League a probable destination, especially since many top clubs' long-term management is in doubt for one reason or another.
In the meantime though he deserves to be remembered, at the tender age of 41, as a managerial great, irrespective of how brief his stint at Barca may turn out to be. A guard of honour Guardiola is the least he should be afforded.
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It's been a sensational four seasons, but Pep Guardiola now appears on the brink of quitting last year's Champions League winners Barcelona.
Idolised as a player and now as a manager in Catalonia, ...
It's been a sensational four seasons, but Pep Guardiola now appears on the brink of quitting last year's Champions League winners Barcelona.
Idolised as a player and now as a manager in Catalonia, ...
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Once he hanged his boots surely he is currently at the place where he dreamed he might end up. Managing what I would say is the best football team in the world. For me he deserves the praise for this and I defy any suggestion that Messi Xavi and Iniesta made it easy for him, They were all there along with a string of other superstars Pre Guardiola time and they didn`t enjoy that amount of success.
For him then to get there and quit is amazing. Sure Messi and co and important for the team, but he was surely in a position to strengthen further with the likes of a possibly Neymar purchase and the return of Villa AND Im sure not too many other quality players would refuse the chance to play for him.
Whoever takes over would be under extreme pressure to replicate his success but there will not be shortage of managers willing to do the job one would think.
Singh2012: Once he hanged his boots surely he is currently at
A fantastic non-ego centred manager, who has helped shape a fantastic team into a World class team. Albeit they probably peaked last season, their football is breathtaking to watch. Guardiola has been one of the key ingrediants of the success they have had. Would love him in the EPL.
goodguyglenn: A fantastic non-ego centred manager, who has helped shape a
It does appear he is. According to Guillem Bague, who is a trustworthy source of info in Spanish football, he has told the players and the 1230 press conference he's making it official to everyone else.
goodguyglenn: It does appear he is. According to Guillem Bague, who
I don't see that happening, imagine messi playing for an English Team versus someone like Stoke. Poor little guy would get neck ache watching everything fly over his head ha!
Would definitely like Guardiola at Spurs though. Probably equally unlikely!!
goodguyglenn: I don't see that happening, imagine messi playing for an
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The Huffington Post UK | By Samuel Luckhurst Posted: 27/04/2012 08:35 Updated: 27/04/2012 08:53