Pep Guardiola, the man who brought 13 glittery
trophies Barcelona, stepped down as coach this Friday. I could hear the cries of my Culé friends –
yes, this Madridista has Culé friends – worldwide. Señor
Pep developed one of the greatest teams the football world has had the
pleasure of viewing under his four-year reign.
The news of his resignation was the knockout blow to a difficult week
for the team and fans. A sad day for
Culés? I should have said a sad week.
Prior to his announcement, the team saw its
exit in the Champions League semifinals to Chelsea in addition to a 2-1 loss to
rivals, Real Madrid, which could potentially end the title run for La Liga.
Guardiola did not keep it secret that he saw his
time at Barcelona coming to an end.
Rumors of his departure circulated as early as the beginning of the
'11/'12 season. But why would people
listen? His side had won La Liga, the
Champions League, and recently defeated Real Madrid in the Supercopa. Why would
he leave when the stats worked in his favor?
But to be fair, he did give the world hints of his desire to leave,
having been quoted having grown all he could as a coach at Camp Nou.
Señor Pep said he made the decision
back in December, preparing to wait until the chase for major titles was out of
the way. Previously, the manager
extended his contract by February, but his decision not to do so this season
fostered uncertainty, and perhaps emotional turmoil, within the club. It also did not help the club's mentality
having seen both Eric Adibal and Tito Vilanova – Guardiola's assistant – battle
life-threatening illnesses in the past year.
It is, then, no wonder that the 41-year-old seeks some time off. Crafting a successful – lethal – side certainly is no cakewalk. Give the man his break.
"The reason is simple, four years are long
and they wear you down," said Guardiola. "I think that sincerely that
the next person will have things to bring that I can't.
"Every day during four years, the demands
are very high, the pressure, the necessary energy to push the players and enjoy
it. I need to rest and move away."
Tito Vilanova, who has been Guardiola's right-hand
man since the pair took over Barça B in the '07/'08 season, has been appointed
his successor.
"Why Tito?" sport director Andoni
Zubizarreta addressed. "Because he represents the game, the analysis, the
preparation, he puts the extra hour into preparation, he has the capacity and
the personality to be here because we know him. So we decided to look inside
our house and it was easy."
"I think the club is right. He is more
than qualified, and the players know him, he will change very little of what we
do, and he will give a lot to the players and club," said Guardiola about
Vilanova. "I can't fool myself that I have the same energy as before."
Guardiola has not revealed his plans for the
future except for saying that he'd like to return to coaching again sooner
rather than later.
Even as a Madridista, I can say Pep will be
missed and I wish him nothing but the best.
He certainly carried himself with class, on and off the pitch. As how this pertains to my side? This is a golden
opportunity for los Blancos to gain
stability and, perhaps, win a title or two or three next year. Good luck, Pep. Now get some rest!
written by Gail Hidalgo
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