Cruyff: Guardiola could quit Barcelona after final
Reuters - Friday 27 May 2011, 11:44
MADRID - Pep Guardiola could be tempted to
leave Barcelona after the Champions League Final against
Manchester United whether they win or lose, former club coach
Johan Cruyff said on Friday.
Guardiola, 40, has won nine trophies in three seasons since
he took the helm of the Catalan club's first team, including
three consecutive La Liga titles, and could claim his second
European Cup as coach on Saturday.
"Guardiola has worked very hard over the last few years and
it wouldn't surprise me if he left independently of Saturday's
result," Cruyff told Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport in
quotes picked up by the Spanish media.
"If he left, it would only be because it is very difficult
to withstand certain pressures in the long term. For this reason
I think he would take a year off."
When asked who he thought would be the ideal replacement
should Guardiola step aside, Cruyff name former Dutch
international striker Marco van Basten.