BREAKING NEWS: Pep Guardiola Steps down as Barcelona manager

1. GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta: ”We’ve always said that if the team needs players, we look at home first [Barca B]. What do we have here at home? Tito.

   “We chose Tito because he represents the idea and the image. He has commitment and personality.”

   BREAKING NEWS

   

   1250:

   GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Guardiola is applauded as he finishes his news conference. Barcelona players, including Xavi, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Busquets, stayed after training to attend and several are in tears as their manager finishes speaking.

2. 1248:

   GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Guardiola: “This club has a powerful force. It is unstoppable. Whoever will replace me will be able to take it on and do it marvellously.”

3. 1247:

   GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Guardiola: ”When I was appointed, I started jumping like a little kid. To be able to take charge of the ‘A’ team was unbelievable. Time has taken its toll and I rise each day and don’t feel the same. I am going with the understanding that I have done my duty.”

4. 1246:

   GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Guardiola: ”I want to thank my players. I have had such a great privilege to train them. Day by day for so many years, my players made it all possible. I am going to recover myself.”

5. 1245:

   GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Guardiola: “You can only recover by resting and getting away from everything. It would have been a bad idea to continue. Perhaps it would not have gone wrong but I have the perception that it would. It is my time to go.”

6. 1245:

   GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Guardiola: “I want to thank my players who are responsible for everything that has happened here. It has been a great pleasure to train them. I have tried to do my job with a lot of passion.”

7. 1245:

   GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Guardiola: ”The reason is simple. Four years gets tiring. The new coach will give things I am not able to give any more. ”

8. 1244:

   GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Guardiola: ”Now we are out of the two main competitions it is a good time to announce this. I did not want to continue with the confusion. The reason is simple: four years is enough. The new coach will give things that I am unable to give any more. To be in front of the media every three days for four years is very demanding.”

9. 1243:

   GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

   Guardiola: ”At the beginning of December I announced to the chairman that I was seeing the end of my era at Barcelona. Obviously we couldn’t say that publicly.”

10. 1242:

    GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

    Guardiola: ”I have always wanted short contracts because the demand from Barcelona is so big. I always thought that four years is an eternity for a coach.”

11. 1241:

    GUARDIOLA CONFERENCE

    Guardiola: ”I want you to understand that this is not a simple decision for me”

12. 1239:

    BREAKING NEWS

    Barcelona president Sandro Rosell confirms that Pep Guardiola will stand down as Barcelona manager at the end of the season, describing him as “the best manager in the history of the club”.

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