Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola will leave the club at the end of the season after informing players and staff at the Nou Camp that he did not wish to renew his one year rolling contract with the club, The Telegraph reported.
Guardiola, who saw his side knocked out of the Champions League by Chelsea and, effectively, out of the race for the La Liga title by Real Madrid in the space of the last week, will take time out of the game after admitting that the effort of guiding the greatest club side of this generation was something that could only be managed for a short period of time due to the intense pressure.
The club had wanted Guardiola to remain in place but were unable to convince him to sign another year's contract at a meeting last night attended by club president Sandro Rosell.
He informed his players this morning when they returned for training for the first time since the 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night with Chelsea that saw them give up their European crown.
Guardiola's career has been spent solely with the Catalan club, famously appearing as ballboy as a child, educated in at La Masia, Barcelona's heralded youth training facility and then going on to play in a side that won the European Cup at Wembley as part of Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' in 1992.
He took over as manager in 2008 and in his first full season in charge Barcelona won every competition they played in.