Pep Guardiola will make his return to the touchline in 2013, and he will do so as head coach of Bayern Munich.
The German heavyweights announced on Wednesday that Guardiola has signed a three-year deal with the club that will begin following the conclusion of the current Bundesliga campaign and runs through 2016. Bayern’s current head coach, Jupp Heynckes, will retire at season’s end, which makes way for Guardiola’s arrival.
“We are delighted we’ve succeeded in appointing leading coach Pep Guardiola, who has been pursued and contacted by many big-name clubs, for FC Bayern,” Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club’s website. “Pep Guardiola is one of the most successful coaches in the world, and we’re certain he will add great flair to both FC Bayern and German football. We’re looking forward to the partnership from July 2013.”
The 41-year-old Spaniard has been out of coaching since stepping down from his post with Barcelona in May 2012. He was recently linked with Premiership clubs Chelsea and Manchester City, but has opted to coach in a league that he never spent time in during his playing career.
Guardiola will join Bayern Munich looking to add to his already-impressive list of achievements as a coach. Guardiola helped the Spanish club win several competitions during his four-year stay, including the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup and La Liga.
What do you think of Guardiola signing with Bayern Munich? Do you see him replicating the type of success he had with Barcelona with Bayern in the Bundesliga? Bummed he didn’t sign with a club in the Premiership?
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