As expected, Pep Guardiola has confirmed he will step down as Barcelona coach at the end of the season, but the biggest question in everyone's mind is which club he will join after he is done with his sabbatical. One thing is for sure that the Catalan would not be short of offers from top clubs when he decides to come back into the game.
In the four years since he became Barca coach, he has led the side that he once played for to unprecedented heights. With 13 trophies since Guardiola's promotion from Barcelona B, it is easy to say that he led this club to heights that no other side in the history of club football has ever achieved. Here are a few clubs that could vie for his signature in the near future:
Chelsea: This is surely not a match made in heaven given the past record of Chelsea in handling their managers. Under Abramovich era, a nine-year spell has been filled with knee-jerk reactions and countless attempts at quick fixes. But he might still try to tempt him with all the money but this tactic might not work with the Spaniard. Guardiola is a man who believes in long-term goals and giving chance to young players, and surely this strategy does not go hand in hand with Chelsea. And keeping in mind that Pep is going to take a sabbatical for at least an year, that would also work against Chelsea as the Russian wants his man now, rather than in a year's time.
Inter Milan: Guardiola will surely be a serious candidate to be Inter Milan's coach. Inter President Massimo Moratti has long admired Guardiola and has been looking for someone who can really get Inter back to the winning ways after the 2010 European champions fell on tough times following the departure of Jose Mourinho. According to reports in February, Inter had prepared a package worth 20 million euros per season in order to tempt Guardiola towards Serie A. This move looks much more a possibility considering Guardiola's affinity for Italy having played at Brescia.
Manchester United With each passing season, the debate surrounding who will replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford becomes more intense and intriguing. Will it be Jose Mourinho or David Moyes or Pep Guardiola? No on really knows but one man who will have a major say on that decision is surely Fergie himself. The ideal thing for United and their fans will be to move Fergie up to a directorial position and do everything to bring Guardiola in. But it all depends on Fergie when he wants to call it quits.
Manchester City: This will surely be a match made in heaven for the blue half of Manchester. Though it is expected that whatever be the outcome of the Premier League title race, Roberto Mancini will remain as City's manager next season. But should he fail in his quest, their mega-rich Arab owners may hound Guardiola to take over. And keeping in mind City's craving for silverware and limitless cash in the offering, Guardiola would surely want to manage a team that wants to dominate world football.
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