Bayern Munich have confirmed that former Barcelona Coach Pep Guardiola has agreed to become their new manager from next season.
Guardiola has today been revealed by the Bundesliga outfit as having agreed to a three-year contract to take over at the Allianz Arena from July 2013.
Midway through a self-imposed year-long sabbatical after four years in charge of the senior side at the Camp Nou, Guardiola had been linked in recent months with a number of clubs across Europe, including Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Roma, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
However, following on from growing reports in Italy and then Germany this week, Bayern have confirmed that they are the ones to have captured the 41-year-old.
Current Coach Jupp Heynckes, who had already hinted of his own future earlier in the season, will step aside at the end of the 2012-13 campaign when his contract expires.
“Perfect! Pep Guardiola! From July until 2016 he is the new Coach of FC Bayern / Heynckes ends his career at the end of the season,” read a posting from Bayern’s official Twitter account, confirming the news.
“Jupp Heynckes will finish his successful career by the end of this season. Pep Guardiola will take over as FC Bayern head Coach in July.”
CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge offered comment on the news via the club’s official statement confirming the news on their website.
“We are very pleased that we have succeeded, he is a football expert, Pep Guardiola, who was courted by many famous clubs, and is here to win for FC Bayern.
“Pep Guardiola is one of the most successful Coaches in the world and we are sure that he can bring much sparkle to not just Bayern but also German football. We look forward to continuing the work from July 2013.”
