Former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola will be taking charge of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich next summer.
Pep will replace Jupp Heynckes whose contract expires after the end of the season. The former German football player and manager had indicated before Christmas that he will be retiring from management after the current season gets over.
According to reports from German newspaper Bild, Guardiola will be given three-year contract at the Munich club.
Bayern Munich officially announced the news through social networking site Twitter:
Jupp #Heynckes will finish his successful career by the end of this season. Pep #Guardiola will take over as FC Bayern head coach in July.
Guardiola has achieved great success in such a limited period of time which many great managers have failed to do in their lifetime.
Not only he won 14 titles with the Catalan giants in four years, including two Champions League title, but he was equally instrumental in harnessing Barcelona’s youth academy talents like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Pedro et al.
Only yesterday, Guardiola revealed his desire to work in the Premier League in the future. In a tribute given the FA on its 150th anniversary, he said as quoted in the press:
“As a player, I couldn’t realise my dream to play there.
But I hope in the future, I have a challenge to be a coach or a manager there and feel the experience of all the coaches and players that have been there.”
Chelsea’s trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich wanted to lure Guardiola on a few occasions this season but the 41-year-old rejected all temptations dangled at him. Manchester City were also interested in signing him.
This is certainly a strong statement of intent from Bayern and the deal is seen as an indication of the Bundesliga’s burgeoning progress and growing strength. What would be interesting to note if Guardiola would want to stick with Bayern’s quick passing and wide game, or leave his “tiki-taka” imprint on the Bavarian team.
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