FC Barcelona coach extends contract until 2012
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One more year: Barca will be relieved that their manager has agreed a one-year extension to his current deal.? |
Pep Guardiola, the coach of FC Barcelona, agreed to extend his contract with the club for a further year on Tuesday.
Guardiola's new agreement means he will remain in charge at Barcelona until the end of June 2012.
Barca's official website says he will put pen to paper on the new deal he has agreed with club president Sandro Rosell in the next few days.
The decision puts an end to rumors that Guardiola could leave Barcelona at the end of the season to take up a lucrative contract to coach the Qatar national team or English Premier League sides Chelsea or Manchester United.
The 40-year-old former player is currently in his third campaign as Barcelona manager and has built a side which some consider the best club side of all time.
Guardiola has relied on players such as Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta as well as promoting youngsters such as Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez, who are now well established stars in the Spanish national team, while Leo Messi, who on Monday publicly thanked his coach, is now considered the best player in the world.
In his first season in charge, Guardiola led Barcelona to the treble of the Primera Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League and in his second campaign also led Barca to the Spanish Supercup, the European Supercup and the World Club Championship, meaning his side became the first ever to win every possible trophy in a calendar year. He ended the season winning a second La Liga title.
In the current campaign Barcelona have already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, reached the final of the Copa del Rey - where they will play Real Madrid, and have a seven point lead over Madrid at the top of La Liga.
Guardiola's decision to stay for a fourth season in charge at the club where he spent most of his career as a player guarantees stability for Barcelona and only serves to strengthen their chances as they aim for a second treble in three years.
