Pep Guardiola to end reign as Barcelona coach in summer

Pep Guardiola, Barcelona Coach To Step Down..

Pep Guardiola will stand down as Barcelona manager at the end of the season after deciding not to renew his rolling one-year contract.

The 41-year-old, who was appointed in 2008 and has led the Catalan club to 13 trophies, will be succeeded by current assistant Tito Vilanova.

Barca look set to miss out to Real Madrid in La Liga and were knocked out of the Champions League by Chelsea.

"The reason is simple: four years is enough," said Guardiola.
More on bbc.co.uk..Pep Guardiola to end reign as Barcelona coach in summer

UEFA Champions League Final - Chelsea FC vs Bayern Munich FC

If you had put your money on Barca and Madrid playing in the Champions League final, you would have lost it.

So, it's Chelsea FC and Bayern Munich through to the Champions League final to be played at the Allianz Arena.

Barcelona 2, Chelsea 2 (2-3 on aggregate)

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Real Madrid - FC Bayern München 3:4

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's penalty shootout saves secured Bayern Munich a Champions League final against Chelsea in their own Allianz Arena after the German side ended Real Madrid's bid for a 10th European crown on Wednesday.Source

Meanwhile the Champions League trophy has arrived in Munich, the Allianz Arena being the venue of the finals on May 19. Both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s Champions League trophies were placed in the city authorities’ care in the ceremony at the historic Old Town Hall on Marienplatz at 4 pm.

UEFA President Michel Platini handed the famous men’s cup to mayor of Munich Christian Ude, with the women’s cup presented to Christine Stroble, the mayor of Munich for sport.Source

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Who are you rooting for to win the 2012 UEFA Champions League crown? Chelsea FC or Bayern Munich FC?

Barcelona beats Man Utd 3-1 in Champions League final

There is no doubt. Manchester United lost to a better team. Congratulations, FC Barcelona!

The Star: At Wembley Stadium, Barcelona and Lionel Messi put their places among football's all-time greats beyond all doubt Saturday as the Argentina striker scored one goal and created another in a 3-1 Champions League final win over Manchester United.

GOALS:
27' [1 - 0] P. Rodriguez
34' [1 - 1] W. Rooney
54' [2 - 1] L. Messi
69' [3 - 1] D. Villa

Ferguson said, "They do mesmerize you with their passing and we never really did control Messi. But many people have said that."

"In my time as manager, it's the best team I've faced," he added. A third Champions League title in six seasons and fourth overall means that only Liverpool, AC Milan and fierce rival Real Madrid have won more European Cups than Barcelona's four.

On the Man United website, Sir Alex was quoted as saying, “I think it is the best team we have ever played. They are at a tremendous peak in the cycle of their team and you get teams who elevate themselves to that status and I think Barcelona are that team.

“We were well beaten. There is no other way to address the situation. We were beaten by the better team, a fantastic team of course, but I expected to do better. We expected to do better, it’s as simple as that.”

The two team managers, Pep Guardiola and Alex Ferguson.

“It has been a great season in many ways," said Sir Alex. "We are just disappointed we’ve come to Wembley twice and been beaten, against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final and then to Barcelona in the final of the European Cup. But it has been a fantastic season - we are just disappointed it has ended on a disappointing note.”

Sir Alex feels his side also belong among the European elite after a strong run to a third final in four years.

"I think our record this season has been excellent. We have won some really important games, but tonight we were beaten by probably, in fact definitely, the best team in Europe. There is no shame in that. From time to time you do come up against a team that is better than you and tonight was that."

Nemanja Vidic of MU said, "“I think if you look at the past, we have never played against a team like we did tonight against Barcelona. We just have to give them credit. They played good football and they deserved to win.”

Commentators had said before the game that Barcelona, which had already won a third straight Spanish league title, would be ranked among football's truly great sides with victory over United.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has now won 10 titles - including two European Cups - in three years.

Lineups:
Barcelona: Victor Valdes, Dani Alves (Carles Puyol, 88), Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Eric Abidal, Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Pedro Rodriguez (Ibrahim Afellay, 90), Lionel Messi, David Villa (Seydou Keita, 86).

Manchester United: Edwin van der Sar, Fabio da Silva (Nani, 69), Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Antonio Valencia, Michael Carrick (Paul Scholes, 77), Ryan Giggs, Park Ji-sung, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez.

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Champions League - Ferguson: United mesmerised by Messi
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Champions League Final - FC Barcelona v Manchester United - May 28, 2011, Wembley Stadium

This is going to be huge! Tonight's game, I mean, between Barcelona and Manchester United. It's their Champions League final, two in three years which Man U lost to Barca in 2009 with a scoreline of 0-2.

Ferguson said. "It really could be the best final of the decade. The attraction of two teams with such history is obvious. Anything could happen in this game." - according to The Daily Chilli.

Here's image of Man United players training on the eve of the crucial day.

"According to the bookmakers, we are underdogs, but I don't think that matters to us," Ferguson said. "Anyone coming to a game of this nature doesn't care what the experts say or the bookmakers say.

Who are you rooting for? Here are some stats comparing both teams achievements thus far. (Click on image to enlarge.)

Remember Paul the Octopus, well, in Spain, Iker the “psychic” octopus has predicted Manchester United will beat Barcelona to be crowned club champions of Europe in today’s final in London.

Iker forecast a United win in the Champions League by choosing to eat a sardine from a glass cylinder decorated with the club’s crest instead of one from a cylinder with Barcelona’s crest at the Sea Life Aquarium in the southern resort of Benalmadena.

Barca need not worry though, as Iker last month wrongly forecast the Spanish club’s arch-rivals Real Madrid would make the Wembley final. So there.. More..

Besides prestige and all, what else would the players look forward to? Barcelona star, Lionel Messi and his teammates will each earn 650,000 pounds (about twice the amount MU players will be making) if they win the Champions League final which works out to more than 7,000 pounds per minute or 120 pounds for every second on the pitch.

The amount is not evenly spread out among the squad however. It is believed World Footballer of the Year, Messi and stars like Xavi and Iniesta will pocket well over a million each.

As for Manchester United players, each player can expect to pick up around 350,000 pounds if they beat Barcelona. This is part of a 9 million-pound reward for winning the title and conquering Europe.

Here's the team line-up courtesy of Yahoo! (Click on image to enlarge.)

Enjoy the game. Check out kickoff below, also indicated on image at the top.

FC BARCELONA vs MANCHESTER UNITED
Date: 28 May 2011
Time: 19:45 BST (2:45am Malaysia time)
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Live on Astro


Related articles:
Ferguson determined to improve MU's European haul
Champions League - Match facts: Barcelona v Manchester United
Rooney aims for final redemption against Barca
United get second chance to pick Barcelona pocket