FCBARCELONA.CAT

20.01.2010 15:13

”We have the best manager in the world for another season”

David Puig

FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta was clearly happy that : “the best manager in the world will be with us for another season. Pep has the guarantee of the club and we have his word – that’s solid”.

Joan Laporta was well satisfied with the agreement with Pep Guardiola to continue as first team manager for another year and commented: “it’s an honour to have the best manager in the world with us for another year. I spoke to Guardiola yesterday evening and he told me he was willing to stay on for at least another year in charge. Pep has the guarantee of the club and we have his word – that’s solid”.

Contract to be signed after 1st July

The President announced that the new contract would be signed with the newly elected president in July: “the new president will establish the conditions of the deal after July 1st. Our intention was to renew the deal, but he made me see that it might be better this way”.

Thanks to Begiristain

Laporta also thanked the effort s of Txiki Begiristain who spoke to Guardiola’s representative in May, before any titles were won, to offer him the new deal: “that started the ball rolling in a process that has finished today with the aim of strengthening our sporting project”.

Txiki satisfied

Txiki himself also expressed his satisfaction with the news: “we are all very happy. It was very important that the manager who’d guided the team for the last 18 months stayed on next season. We had hoped to a longer deal, but we understand completely Pep’s reasons”.

Txiki Begiristain refused to be drawn on his own future: “I’m this President’s man and I don’t want to talk about anything after he’s left. The most important thing is to leave everything in place and that the majority of the group around the manager stays on. I won’t rule out staying on – I’ll be giving it some thought”.