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Four years of footballing perfection: can Barcelona go on without Pep?

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“At the beginning of December I announced to the chairman that I was seeing the end of my era at Barcelona,” said Guardiola.

It would have been a bad idea to continue,” he proceeded. “Perhaps it would not have gone wrong but I have the perception that it would. It is my time to go.”

Surprisingly, Zubizarreta revealed that Guardiola’s assistant, Francesc ‘Tito’ Vilanova, would be taking over at the start of the 2012/13 season, saying “What do we have here at home? Tito.” 

Vilanova’s career is significantly less colourful compared to his predecessor; he too was a member of La Masia, they became friends whilst in the youth system and both played for Barça B. However, Vilanova’s playing career far from escalated-he made appearances for Catalan clubs before joining Barcelona’s coaching staff. Guardiola described his assistant as “a great choice” for the club. Vilanova may well share a similar playing and coaching ethos, in which case, it is possible that Barça’s stereotypical play will remain the same into next season at least. However, as we witnessed with Guardiola, the Catalan club may be about to have another gigantic twist on its hands.

Guardiola has already made one return to the Nou Camp; being only 41, there is nothing to say a distant reunion cannot happen. Nevertheless, as the Spaniard takes his well deserved, year-long break from management, one question will be on everyone’s mind: Where next? That, however, is another story.

Undoubtedly, Barça fans will miss their talisman’s reactions of jubilation from the touchline. He leaves an unfaultable, unique and timeless legacy in his footsteps that is already in the history books and always will be. His departure may well signify the dispersion of several members of the current squad, as players like Dani Alves are already being linked with the wealthy, future European giants Anzi Makhachkala amongst others.

Wherever Guardiola appears next is his choice and his challenge, and therefore the world will be eagerly watching, and will always remember and revisit those precious, incredible, supernatural and utterly unfaultable four years of footballing perfection.

Gràcies Pep!     

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