Guardiola contract extension vital for Barcelona

Barcelona head coach Pep Guardiola has signed an 18-month extension to his contract at the Nou Camp.

The highly-rated coach was always expected to sign a new deal with the Catalan club but the news that he has officially signed will be a boost to everybody involved with the club.

Confirmation

Barcelona vice-president gave confirmation of the deal by telling the clubs television channel: “The club is very happy with Guardiola and hopes he will go on for many years.”

I don’t know why the Barcelona hierarchy wouldn’t be happy with their head coach. He has inspired his side to play some of the best football the world has ever seen and his team have even been called the best team ever by some observers.

Team

Some people may say that he already had a squad of world-class players available to him. I disagree with this however. He made the decisions to sell the likes of Deco and Ronaldinho, who were big names at the time. The decision to sell the pair was a big one but he got it spot on.

Guardiola also turned the likes of midfielder Sergio Busquets and attacker Pedro into top players. He had coached the pair in the Barca B side and could see the potential of the duo. Pedro broke into the first team at a relatively late age but it was Guardiola who had faith in the youngster and he has proved a resounding success.

Under Guardiola Sergio Busquets has developed into one of the most highly-rated defensive midfielders in the European game. He is a crucial cog in the Barca midfield, as he covers the holes left by his more attacking teammates.

Busquets is in the same mould as Guardiola the player. Busquets is probably the player who Guardiola has had the biggest effect on. Without his influence would he have been the player he is now, I really do doubt it.

He has such a calm manner about him and his approach gets the best out of his players. All his players want to play for the 40 year-old because he wants his side to play the game the beautiful way.

Not only does his side play beautiful football, they seem to have almost perfected it. And players want to be part of something that special.

Future

Pep Guardiola has always said that he prefers to sign short-term contracts with Barca. I think he has done it this way to keep both his players and himself on their toes. I also believe that he wishes to manage in another league.

If he has a long-term contract with Barcelona then he wouldn’t be able to move elsewhere. He hasn’t hidden his love for the club and he is a Barcelona man through and through but he has revealed that he wants to try his hand in a different culture and country.

I believe the Premier League is probably his preferred destination. I’m sure a number of Premier League clubs are monitoring the Spaniard’s situation at Barca with a view to hiring him in the future.

Continuity

Pep Guardiola knows Barcelona inside out and the Catalan club have played a major part in his career in football. Pep Guardiola knows the philosophy of the club and has drilled it into his team and his players.

He started with the Barcelona B side and carried on that work with the first team. That continuity has been vital in the club establishing themselves as arguably the world’s best team.

I can see Pep Guardiola leaving when he wants to rather than when the Barca board want him to. I just hope that the promising head coach stays at Barcelona for a good few years to come and wins many more titles.