Guardiola to quit Barca, Vilanova to take charge

BARCELONA - Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who led the club to unprecedented heights with a brand of football widely regarded as the closest to perfection the game has seen, will leave at the end of the season and be replaced by assistant Tito Vilanova.

Barcelona's coach Pep Guardiola ponders during a news conference at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona April 27, 2012. Barcelona's most successful manager Pep Guardiola will walk away from the Catalans at the end of the season, the club announced on Friday. [Photo/Agencies]

Guardiola's decision to step aside to rest and recuperate brings to an end a four-year tenure during which he led the Catalans to 13 trophies, including two Champions League triumphs and three straight Spanish La Liga titles.

The announcement on Friday at an emotional news conference at the Nou Camp, with Guardiola flanked by president Sandro Rosell and sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, came after months of speculation over the 41-year-old's future.

It was also three days after his team were denied a place in the Champions League final by Chelsea in a spectacular match and followed last weekend's 2-1 La Liga defeat at home to rivals Real Madrid that all-but ended their hopes of a fourth title in a row.

"Four years is an eternity for a coach of Barcelona," Guardiola said as stony-faced first-team players including Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes and Carles Puyol looked on.

"Four years wear you down and that's the fundamental reason," the former midfielder added.

"The person who will occupy my place will give something that I cannot, because being here for four years is hard, the demands are very high and you have to be very strong.

"When I started out I thought I could achieve everything and that's what I want to get back."