Josep Guardiola's decision to quit as
coach of Barcelona after four record-breaking years is tantamount to a
prime minister resigning, according to one Spanish football expert.
Begona Perez told CNN World Sport that Guardiola's imminent departure
had sent shock waves around Spain and plunged Barca's fans into a period
of mourning as they contemplate life after the coach who delivered 13
trophies.
The
41-year-old's reign at the Catalan club has been littered with success
and underpinned by a philosophy that has produced some of the most
attractive football seen in recent times. Guardiola cited tiredness as
the major factor in his decision, describing his four years on Barca's
bench as an eternity. His assistant, Tito Vilanova, will take the reins
next season, but for now, it is all about Guardiola.
His
decision to quit prompted his current players to pay the warmest of
tributes. Lionel Messi took to his official page on social networking
site Facebook to laud Guardiola. "I want to thank Pep with all my heart
for everything he has given me in my professional career and
personally," the 24-year-old wrote.
"Because
of the emotions I feel I preferred not to be present at Pep's press
conference and to stay away from the press because I know they will look
for the pain on the players' faces. It is something I decided not to
show." Perez told CNN Guardiola's announcement was a huge occasion in
Spanish sporting terms.
"It's
almost like a prime minister leaving his post," she told CNN. "He's
almost God-like in Barcelona. What he has achieved has been amazing.
"The
most successful thing at Barcelona is the philosophy at the club. He
didn't invent this style of football but he made it perfect. We've seen
in the last four years what they achieved and the style has been
amazing." Perez explained that four grueling seasons at one of the
world's most high profile clubs had finally taken its toll on Guardiola,
who had always maintained it was a job that no-one could do
indefinitely.
He
has also had to contend with serious illnesses to defender Eric Abidal,
who recently underwent a liver transplant, and health difficulties for
his successor, Villanova, who had a tumor. "It has been a very difficult
season," she added. "There are personal reasons behind this, they lost
to Real Madrid and Chelsea in the last week, but it's been difficult for
personal reasons.
"Especially
with the illness to Abdial and his number two Villanova. Basically he
needs a break. We expect him to take a sabbatical year because it has
been emotionally very hard this season. "He's a person with other
interests -- he is football obsessed but he is the kind of person who
likes to read a book, go the cinema and obviously his family. He has
made many sacrifices and he wants to make the most of it now."
As
for Guardiola's replacement, Perez said promoting Vilanova from
assistant was the logical choice for a club that prides itself on a
distinct approach to the game "We don't know what is going to happen to
this team in sports terms and whether they will be able to win trophies
with Tito Vilanova," she added. "Guardiola has been the most successful
manager in Barca history and that is something that is going to be
difficult to achieve again.
"I
think the fans are very sad, they feel it's an end of an era but they
are happy with Vilanova talking over -- it's a natural decision.
"It's
someone who knows the club inside out, he was the manager of the likes
of Fabregas, Pique and Messi in the youth team so it's a continuity of
the club's philosophy."
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