Official: Pep Guardiola next Barcelona manager

[Pat Murphy]

Looks like Barcelona could have a new manager for next season the way things are going. Today Barca announced an official vote of confidence for Rijkaard which will protect him until the end of the season but it looks like that no trophy will mean no Rijkaard next season.

Who do you think Barca will go for to be their next coach for next season and who do you think would be best for the job?

Here are the candidates mentioned recently....

Jose Mourinho - We all know Jose, he used to be a translator at Barcelona before he got ideas above his station and wanted to be a manager.

Michael Laudrup - Used to play for Barca before he back stabbed us and left for Real Madrid on a free transfer. Most Barca fans seem to have forgiven him but not me . He's got crappy Getafe to another Copa Final and a UEFA Cup Quarter Final so he's doing quite well in his first proper season in charge.

Rafa Benitez - The fat controller used to coach Valencia to great success so has the Spanish league know how. Rumoured to be the President's no.1 choice.

Marcelo Lippi - Free Agent, World Champion, European Champion and has declared interest in the Barca job. Knows how to make a team defend and can control ego's.

Manuel Pellegrini - Created a revolution at Villarreal turning them from relegation candidates to title challengers in 4 seasons. Also had the balls to drop Riquelme so should be able to handle the stars at Barca, also plays good passing football and knows Spanish football

Laurent Blanc - er.....you sure?.....He's being linked as he's done well with Bordeaux in getting them up to second in Ligue 1.

Ernesto Valverde - Got Espanyol to a UEFA Cup final. His teams are known to be hard working, problem is he's the Espanyol manager.

Pep Guardiola - Currently the Barca B team boss, proven not much so far other than he likes the Barca 4-3-3.

[Oliver_Kahn]

From those you've mentioned, I'd say Valverde and Blanc have no chance. For different reasons, the first is Espanyol's manager, Espanyol are one of Barça biggest rivals, getting Espanyol's coach would be humiliating themselves. Blanc has no experience to lead a team like Barcelona.

I don't think Mourinho would like to return to Barcelona, I'm sure everyone remembers how he was treated the last time Chelsea faced Barcelona. The chants were like: "Fuck that Portuguese bastard" (in Spanish obviously).

Laudrup is a risk I'd say, he has never coached a top team like Barcelona, so you just never know whether he will be successful. Coaching a smaller team is usually easier, a lot less pressure on his shoulders and no supporters questioning his every move.

Guardiola is my dark horse, honestly I think he has a shot at coaching Barça. From what I've heard, he is doing a top drawer job with Barcelona's B team, he is a Barcelona legend, a fan favourite and a former captain. The only problem is whether he is ready for the job, because coaching FC Ego's ain't easy and he hasn't yet be tested against strong opposition and more experienced managers.

Marcello Lippi will have offers from Italy probably, so I think he'll rather take those. Clubs such as AC Milan or Juventus are IMO more appealing for an Italian coach than Barcelona.

Manuel Pellegrini would be a great choice, he would be my first choice if I was Joan Laporta.

Rafa Benitez is indeed, like Patricia said, Laporta's number one choice and I'd say he would be interested in returning to Spain. But it all depends whether he can win the CL with Liverpool. If he wins it, I think he'll stay. If he doesn't he will most definitely consider taking over at Barcelona.
Rafa Benitez

[Pat Murphy]

I think my heart is swaying my head but I want Manny Pellegrini to be the Barca manager for next season. Knows La Liga, plays passing football to the extent of being called a Wenger clone, is a real ball breaker as he showed by dropping Riquelme for 6 months and has built 2 revolutions at Villarreal in 4 years by making the "Riquelme team" with all the old players and the new team with all the young players which has just Senna from the old team left. He ticks off all my check boxes for requirements and so I'd want him.

Although I think Rijkaard will stay if he wins the CL and Rafa could come if he doesn't win the CL and I think Laudrup and Pep also have a shout.

[Trim]

From all those mentioned, Pellegrini is undoubtely the best candidate, but I'm not sure if it can happen.

[unitedfan]

Yep, I agree on that. Pellegrini looks the best candidate. Will Barca go for him, or try Benitez or Mourinho though? It's possible they want to get in a manager with a liking for "tougher" teams.

[Pat Murphy]

Pellegrini: "Es un orgullo que te relacionen con un gran club" | SPORT | Barça

Pellegrini has been the name most linked over the last few days. Pellegrini said that it was an honour to be linked with Barca but he's just concentrating on Villarreal's title push.

Goal.com - Chelsea - Laudrup To Chelsea Rumours Gather Pace

Laudrup is also being linked a lot to both Barca and Chelsea. SPORT seem to be suggesting that Mourinho to Inter, Rijkaard to Milan, Pellegrini/Rafa/Guardiola to Barcelona and Laudrup to Chelsea with Avram Grant moving up to a board position again.

[Pat Murphy]

Laporta descarta a Mourinho | SPORT | Barça

Laporta rules Mourinho out of the running (probably Rafa Benitez as well) as he says that Barca will not employ a coach that won't comply with the club's values and identity of attacking and passing football. He's ruled out Mourinho and probably Rafa Benitez seeing as his football is probably worse than Jose's. It reinforces Pellegrini's case as his football is more attacking than what we've seen of Laudrup's and we haven't seen Guardiola's 4-3-3 enough yet.

[Pat Murphy]

Luis Enrique se niega a postularse como posible ayudante de Guardiola | SPORT | Barça

Luis Enrique could be the Barca no.2 if Guardiola takes over, creating a dream team Barca 1-2.

[skeeta]

Getafe's performance in this tie convinces me even more that Laudrup should be Rijkaard's successor.

[Pat Murphy]

I'll still be reluctant on Laudrup for 2 reasons, the first and most biased would be him moving from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 1994 on a free transfer after having an arguement with Cruyff he seemed to take it out on the club. Barca had a sort of forgiving ceremony a few years ago and I think gave him a renewed Barca membership and things were forgiven. I don't know who decided this but I think people have generally forgiven the unforgivable move in this case but I'm still reluctant on him for this reason of that move.

Secondly as much as he's done well it's his first season in La Liga and at a small club, it's still his first season and we can't be sure of all his abilities and if he's any good yet. The midfield is a tough tackling unit and the defence is solid and often they don't play attacking football. In this respect I think Manuel Pellegrini would be a much better option for the Barca fans who always demand that attacking football.

Saying all that anti-talk tho he's still my 2nd or 3rd choice to be the next boss.

[Pat Murphy]

Guardiola Submits New-Look Coaching Plans

Josep 'Pep' Guardiola is seen by some as the favourite to succeed Frank Rijkaard as first team coach of FC Barcelona. Now, according to Sport, the current reserve team boss has submitted to his superiors a number of ideas for revolutionising the way the team works...

It appears that Guardiola has already been asked what changes he would implement if he does succeed Frank Rijkaard as coach.

Txiki Begiristain apparently asked the former blaugrana player for his thoughts on how to alter the club's modus operandi, and as such he has submitted his thoughts to the board.

Unsurprisingly, Pepe has some big ideas, given that he's dissatisfied with the way that the first team currently operates.

His key complaints are:

1) With the professionalism of the team
2) With the conduct of the medical services
3) And with the preparation for the team's physical style of play.

Addressing each point in turn, he wishes to give the team back its spirit, partially by instituting a new theory of togetherness. Instead of spending just a couple of hours a day together at training, the players will spend much of the day as a group, including at communal meals.

Further, he wishes to streamline the medical process, ensuring that diagnosis is quick and accurate, but also that those responsible for physical preparation change their ways. A new directorship could be created with responsibility for this area.

Finally, physical training as a whole will be changed, with an emphasis on avoiding injury, including a possible lessening of money-spinning pre-season tours in favour of more thorough work-outs.

In addition to the above, Pep is also eager for the technical secretary and the coach to work together in choosing signing targets, with the overall aim of producing a more balanced side, albeit one that still follows the "Barcelona style" of offensive play.

Even with that taken into account, though, he does not feel that the 4-3-3 is inviolable, but rather that the formation can change depending on the opposition's tactics.

Goal.com

Goal.com - Spain - Guardiola Submits New-Look Coaching Plans

Checks a few boxes there.

Attacking play. Team Proffesionalism. Medical Conduct. Physical Preperation. More than 1 formation option.

Sounds good, he's still my no.2 choice for the Barca job after Pellegrini.

[Pat Murphy]

Getafe Chief Sees Laudrup Going To Barça

Getafe president Ángel Torres has given the biggest hint yet that Michael Laudrup is set to replace Frank Rijkaard as coach of Barcelona this summer.

Los Azulones' supremo joked that having already supplied Valencia and Real Madrid with coaches in the past few years, there is only Atlético left to go because Barça are set to land their man.

Speculation is rife that Rijkaard will leave Camp Nou this summer and Laudrup is among the favourites to replace him after a very impressive first year in charge of Getafe.

Torres attempted a cryptic response when asked about Laudrup's future, but made it clear that he expects to be looking for yet another new trainer in the summer.

"It is a blow that he could leave us and that we cannot have him here for two seasons. But if that happens then we should be proud and continue to work and find ourselves a coach that next year Atlético can take," he explained.

"Each time we supply a coach to the biggest clubs, Valencia, Real Madrid and Barcelona, so now we just need to give Atlético a coach so that everyone can enjoy themselves."

Quique Sánchez Flores oversaw Getafe's promotion to the top in 2003-04 flight before guiding them to a top ten finish in their first season in the top flight.

After departing to take the reins at Valencia in 2005, Sánchez Flores was replaced at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez by Bernd Schuster, who also enjoyed two successful seasons before being lured away by Real Madrid.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Goal.com - Barcelona - Getafe Chief Sees Laudrup Going To Barça

[Pat Murphy]

Guardiola To Be Named New Barcelona Coach

Reports in Spain are claiming that former Barcelona captain Josep Guardiola is ready to take the reigns at Camp Nou.

The Barcelona board of directors, including Joan Laporta and Txiki Begiristain, held a meeting on Monday to decide on a replacement for Frank Rijkaard, who is likely to depart at the end of the season.

According to Marca, the directors have decided to appoint former midfielder Josep Guardiola. Barcelona will announce the move on May 19th, following the final Liga game, when Rijkaard is also expected to bid farewell.

Barca have once again ended the season with no silverware, and Guardiola's rather progessive plans - presented to the board last month - have met with great approval. There have been suggestions that he was being lined up as a number two, but it now appears that the Catalans are ready to hand him full control.

Guardiola has had an excellent relationship with the club since 1984 when he joined as a youth team player. He went on to win major honours both domestically and in Europe including the 1992 European Cup, and a massive six La Liga titles in the 90's.

At the moment, he is in charge of the Blaugrana’s B team, and has impressed with his fresh approach.

Many feel that 'Pep', as he was known, will not have the adequate experience to guide the Blaugrana to the dizzying heights they have become accustomed to, and are keen to see Jose Mourinho succeed Rijkaard despite an intense rivalry with him while he managed Chelsea.

However, Laporta has already ruled that out when insisting that any new coach will have to play the 'Barcelona way', and is now ready to throw his weight behind the legendary midfielder.

Michael Laudrup has also been linked with the post. Another ex-Barça player, the Danish legend has done an impressive job in his first season in charge of Getafe. Laurent Blanc is another name reportedly on the Blaugrana's list, but is believed to be somewhat further down the pecking order.

World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi - unemployed since his 2006 triumph with Italy - has expressed a degree of interest in managing in La Liga, though many believe he would prefer to stay in his native Italy if possible.

If the latest reports are to be believed, Pep looks to be leading the way, and could well be formally appointed as soon as the 19th of May.

Salvatore Landolina - Goal.com

Goal.com - Barcelona - Guardiola To Be Named New Barcelona Coach

Guardiola es el elegido | SPORT | Barça

Mundo Deportivo - Será Guardiola

La cúpula del Barça elige a Guardiola - Marca.com