“The reason is simple: four years is enough,” a saddened Pep Guardiola announced as the news Barcelona fans were desperate not to hear was officially declared today. The Barcelona manager has decided against renewing his rolling one-year contract at the end of the season and instead stands down after four prosperous seasons with the Spanish giants.
The 41 year old, who was appointed manager in 2008, has led the Catalan club to incredible success, including three La Liga titles and two Champions League final victories. In total the former Spanish international has won 13 trophies in his era in charge and his departure will leave a lasting legacy in the history of this famous football club.
With Barcelona set to miss out on La Liga to their fierce rivals Real Madrid and being knocked out of the Champions League in the semi final by Chelsea, Guardiola has accepted that this season has been a failure compared to the sensational achievements of past seasons. "I'm drained and I need to fill up. The demand has been very high and a manager must be strong," Guardiola stressed at a news conference, which was attended by many of his players today.
"At the beginning of December I announced to the chairman that I was seeing the end of my era at Barcelona," Guardiola continued. "Time has taken its toll. I rise each day and don't feel the same. I am going with the understanding that I have done my duty. You can only recover by resting and getting away from everything. It would have been a bad idea to continue. Perhaps it would not have gone wrong but I have the perception that it would. It is my time to go.”
“Now we are out of the two main competitions it is a good time to announce this. I did not want to continue with the confusion. I want to thank my players who are responsible for everything that has happened here. I don't want to manage at the moment."
After his emotional speech, he was greeted with a rapturous applause off the players, club representatives and the media, a show of gratitude for his outstanding managerial work. Current assistant Tito Vilanova will succeed Guardiola at the end of the season and it is understood the departing manager will take a year away from football, despite huge interest from the Premiership.
However Guardiola, who has enjoyed almost 30 years as a player, coach and manager at the club, will bring to a close his reign in the knowledge that he is the most successful manager in Barcelona history. Purely in terms of trophies, only Johan Cruyff’s dominant side in the early 1990s comes close, and yet similar to the influential Dutchman’s dream team, the Catalan’s fortunes was more than just about results. Guardiola, an integral component of Cruyff’s team as a player, probably unites the two most distinguished eras of the club’s history. Firstly as a visionary midfielder who centred Johan Cruyff’s side between 1990 and 1996, and then on to create a team as manager to rank as one of the most enchanting and captivating to have played the beautiful game.
As manager, Guardiola has also overseen the astonishing rise of three-time world player of the player and possibly the greatest footballer to ever grace the game, Lionel Messi. Through obsessive and intense training, brutally practiced and perfected drills and diligent technical relationships, Messi has thrived to become Barcelona’s leading goal scorer of all time at just 24 years of age. Add to that scoring 60 goals in a single European season, the first player to do so since Gerard Muller and becoming the first player in Champions League history to score five goals in one match, Messi has become an absolute legend of the game at such a young age and wholeheartedly owes his astounding personal and professional career to the brilliant management skills of Guardiola.
His unquestionable work ethic, tactical astuteness, belief in youth and phenomenal focus on possession and pass completion saw Barcelona out think, out pass and out play every team they came up against. Until Guardiola achieves accolades at other clubs, questions will be addressed whether he is a standalone genius or just a highly skilled manager that benefited from an excellent system. However no one will forget his remarkable efforts and achievements at the Spanish club, with his inspirational and groundbreaking team’s legacy that will be respected and treasured for generations. 
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