Pep to leave, Bayern hires anti-Guardiola Ancelotti

When Pep Guardiola returns to Bayern Munich after the festive season, things will be different as the announcement that the 44-year-old will leave the German club next summer will be old news. His departure is however now seen as far from being a catastrophe. In fact this appears to be the positive aspect to the end of his stay in Munich.

The Spaniard, who is assumed to be heading for the Premier League club Manchester City in summer 2016, will be a coach facing a special challenge as the German champion and its head coach will have to get through another six months together. Some may see his "no" to signing a new contract as a defeat for Bayern (against the financial clout of the English Premier League) after they tried sweetening up the Spaniard by buying a number of expensive world class players, and a promised, in negotiations, annual pay rise totaling 20 million euros.

For Bayern Munich, Carlo Ancelotti, the new man who will replace Guardiola, is just a change of big names. After all, the Italian stands for international success having won the Champions League three times. The 56-year-old will be given a three-year contract and can be seen as a sort of anti-Guardiola. Other than the Spaniard, Ancelotti is said to have a different working style far removed from Guardiola's unconditional obsession.

"We are thankful to Guardiola for all he gave our club and hope to celebrate more success in the current season. With Ancelotti we have another very successful coach coming here to Bayern. We are looking forward to working together," said Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in an official statement.

For months now, the Bavarian club has been preparing for the time after Guardiola as they became more and more aware that the coach was leaving all his doors open for as long as possible. Bayern though were not prepared to wait as Guardiola originally intended announcing his decision in as late as April.

Now it is Ancelotti to take over, not now but in a few months time. Some feel the club and the players will have an easier time getting on with the Italian than it was in Guardiola's case. Ancelotti is said to be especially sensitive in dealing with his stars. Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo described him as being "like a big bear. What a nice man, what a sensitive person." The Italian himself said in a recent interview that he would feel the inspiration to win the Champions League again, for a fourth time. It can now be seen as Ancelotti's target for his time in Munich.

Guardiola sometimes first saw the job and then his players. In the case of the long time injured Franck Ribery, it meant the French striker had to return to action maybe one or two weeks too early, which has led to a new injury.

For Guardiola, his era in Munich was just a job done with his usual passion but far from a matter of the heart like his post back in Barcelona. Despite his statements about how much he loves his team, he always kept a certain distance knowing he would leave after a "short" period of time. That was something Bayern Munich had to learn, you never get all of Guardiola.

Even if Guardiola does not deliver a happy end to his tenure in Munich by winning the Champions League, the Spaniard will not only have left his mark on German football. He was also a vehicle for Bayern Munich to gain more international attention. Under Guardiola, Bayern's style of football improved immensely, their football was more dominant than ever before as their tactical ability rose to being world class.

Guardiola trained his players to a level at which they can play several roles on the pitch and change their tactical system within a game.

The last months of co-habiting for Guardiola and Bayern will mean living in a partnership of convenience. Hopes are high that the example of Jupp Heynckes can be followed. After announcing mid-season that he would be leaving the club, the German left the club in May 2013 on a high note by winning the treble. So far Guardiola's mission was without a happy end as he twice was eliminated in the Champions League semifinal.

Until now Guardiola has not won over the hearts of everybody in Munich. He himself was seen as a genius with all that comes with it. He was treated with deep respect and admiration, but could never overcome a certain distance. Club and coach had their problems together, big ones and small ones.

Bayern Munich did not want to give up the clubs' independency to a full extent and Guardiola saw his freedom and individual style entrapped after his employers did not allow him to have full responsibility to decide on transfers. When Guardiola came in summer 2013, he insisted on buying Neymar from Barcelona, Bayern instead bought Mario Goetze from Borussia Dortmund, for Guardiola obviously a first sign his time in Munich would not be as happy as the one in Barcelona, and at his next club.

While Bayern Munich knew for some time they will have to make a change as far as their head coach is concerned, they started preparations for a new era by handing some of their key players long term contracts. Only days before Guardiola's departure was announced, Xabi Alonso (2017), Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng and Javier Martinez (all until 2021) all agreed to extend their contracts to keep a top quality squad together. Carlo Ancelotti's squad.

After he was announced as Bayern's next coach the Italian said over social media "Thanks" in several languages. "I am happy to be the next coach in Munich." Endi