Deadline Day is upon us, fam. Part one of two at least (the transfer market closes today in England, tomorrow in Spain, Germany, Italy, and France). While this day – simultaneously hope-filled and overhyped, a Christmas morning of sorts – is more often than not a time to fret over the fates of our favorite futbolistas, it’s a legendary coach who’s making headlines this time around.
That’s right. Pep Guardiola has officially been confirmed as the man to succeed 62-year-old Chilean Manuel Pellegrini as Manchester City head coach. He has signed a three-year contract with the club as per the official release pictured below:
The 45-year-old Catalan crack currently in charge of Bayern Munich is the most successful manager in Barcelona history, with 14 trophies in four years to his name (including three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues). Most recently, he won the league twice in two seasons with the German giants. His team sits eight points clear as it stands in his third campaign.
When it comes to Pep, there’s an overwhelming aura of invincibility that opposition fans can’t help but fear and totally dread. Pep’s teams press high up the pitch and pull off tiki taka passing to perfection. With City, he’ll have boatloads of money and essentially everything he needs to take the league by storm. Be warned.
Pellegrini – who arrived from Málaga in 2013 and went on to win the EPL and League Cup in his first year – will leave the club on June 30, 2016. He boasts an overall record of 64 wins in 99 EPL matches and his side is still in contention for four trophies this season.
Three questions arise with respect to this move: how soon until we see a Mourinho–Pep Manchester Derby? Will Messi, Neymar, or Cristiano follow in his footsteps? Perhaps most importantly, how long until Pep makes NYC FC his luxury coaching retirement dream home?
To keep up with the latest transfer action, check this link or this cool fake Excel document.