Priest puts perturbed minds at rest over Pep
Reuters - Thursday 23 February 2012, 16:58
Barcelona fans worried
coach Pep Guardiola will decide not to extend his contract
beyond the end of this season were given reassurance on Thursday
when his hometown priest said he was sure the former Barca and
Spain midfielder would stay.
Jean Hakolimana, a Rwandan who has run the local church in
Santpedor where Guardiola was born since 2007, told Spanish
radio he thought the 41-year-old was highly unlikely to leave as
he had such strong links to the Catalan club.
"If anyone has doubts and that is their faith then they can
pray for it but I think he will stay," Hakolimana said, adding
that he last saw Guardiola three months ago and that the coach's
parents attend his church regularly.
"You could not understand today's Barcelona without
Guardiola and you could not understand Guardiola without Barca,
they are so strongly connected and that's why I think he will
extend his contract," he said.
Guardiola, who has led Barca to 13 trophies since he took
over in 2008, prefers to renew his contract on an annual basis
and said on Saturday he needed more time to decide whether to
stay on beyond the end of this season.