Barcelona, Spain – Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he will leave his post at the end of the season, with assistant Tito Vilanova being appointed as his successor.
Guardiola enjoyed a staggering amount of success during his four-year spell in charge of Barca after being promoted from his role as manager of the Barcelona B team.
The 41-year-old won the league title in 2009, 2010 and 2011, while guiding the club to the Champions League crown in 2009 and 2011 and the 2009 Cope del Rey title.
Despite his run of success, Guardiola never made a long-term commitment to the team, instead opting to sign one-year contract extensions.
The decision comes after a week that saw Barcelona lose 2-1 to Real Madrid, effectively ending their league title hopes, while a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Chelsea in the semifinals of the Champions League followed in midweek.
"We have called you today to announce that Pep Guardiola will not continue in charge of the team next season," Barcelona president Sandro Rosell said at Friday's press conference.
"Thank you, Pep, for all the happiness you have brought us and for bringing a model of football that can never be questioned. The thanks from everybody at Barcelona will be eternal for the best manager in the history of the club."
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