The bench candidates who did not make it

At this moment everybody seems to agree that it will be Barcelona B manager josep Guardiola (37), but in the days before the still unconfirmed (and unofficial) decision on Monday (read more here) there was a lot of speculation on who would replace current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45), whose dismissal was a sure fact after the Champions League elimination last week.

Mourinho

Last weekend former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45) was still the man who supposedly divided the Barcelona board. Madrid sports tabloid As even linked names to the opposed groups. Barcelona president Joan Laporta, supported by vice presidents Jaume Ferrer and Alfons Godall and board members Rafael Yuste and Evarist Murtra, was in in favour of Guardiola. Barcelona vice president Ferran Soriano, supported by almost all the other board members, preferred Mourinho.

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claimed on Saturday that Mourinho had rejected Barcelona's proposal to become the next Barcelona manager and to be assisted by Guardiola.

Asked about the rumours saying that Mourinho had already found an agreement with Inter Milan, his agent Jorge Mendes denied any agreement to British televsion channel Sky Sports: "Mourinho has not signed any deal with a club and is still free. It is certain that many clubs are interested but he still has not decided his destination."

Pellegrini

Madrid sports tabloid As claimed on Friday that Villareal manager Manuel Pellegrini (54) had received phone calls from Barcelona officials to ask the Chilean coach how he would feel about a possible future proposal from Barcelona.

Catalan sports paper Sport reported that Chilean media claimed that there had been an informal contact between Pellegrini, his agent Jesús Martínez and Barcelona representatives.

Ancelotti

Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio claimed last Thursday that a Barcelona board member had contacted the agent of AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti (48) asking if the Italian would be willing to coach Barcelona next season. This was said to be an individual initiative by the board member, who was opposed to the Guardiola option.

Laudrup

Madrid sports tabloid As claimed on Saturday that Getafe manager Michel Laudrup (43) had received the approval of Barcelona unofficial external adviser Johan Cruijff. After some first contacts, Barcelona president Joan laporta, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Bayram Tutumlu, the agent of Laudrup, would meet this week to start the negotiations.

Getafe president Angel Torres had fed the speculation by stating that Laudrup would leave his club and by telling in an interview with Spanish radio station Radio Marca that now that his club had prepared managers for Valencia, Real Madrid and Barcelona (read more here), they would now make one for Atlético Madrid.

Blanc

During the Monday meeting, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain evaluated the candidacies of Mourinho, Pellegrini, Laudrup and Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc (42) but concluded that Guardiola was the best option (read more here). The Monday decision is expected to be approved during the board meeting this afternoon.

Blanc would like to coach Barcelona

Asked about the rumours linking him to Barcelona as a possible successor of current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (read more here), Girondins Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc (42) has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that he would like to coach Barcelona and suggests that his football philosophy would fit perfectly with the tradition at the club: "I want to play in an attacking way. From the goal keeper to the centre forward, everyone should take part in trying to create chances to score. Even when that means the opponent will more likely score against you. The important thing is to score one goal more yourself."

The former Barcelona central defender admitted that he probably needs to gain some more experience to coach a European top club (read more here): "Because this is only my first season as a manager, I might still lack some experience to coach a big team. However, if I were given the responsibility, I would confront it with a lot of professionalism."

Read more:
Mourinho or Blanc
Transfer history: Laurent Blanc
Blanc is in the race too

Guardiola or Laudrup

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that, with the Barcelona board having decided that they don't want a change in the style of the team, there are only two candidates left to replace current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) as of next season: Barcelona B manager Josep Guardiola (37) and Getafe manager Michael Laudrup (43).

Josep María Casanovas, the founder of Sport, described the elimination process in his column yesterday as follows: "Van Basten fell off the list when he preferred to go to Ajax. Mourinho had the sympathy of some board members but was rejected because of his character and his way of playing. Benítez was just a passing rumour. Pellegrini has been closely analized but stays in the waiting room. Laurent Blanc, the manager of the moment in France, had some sympathy but little more. The name of Lippi was considered but was disapproved because the Italian Calcio style has never worked in the Liga. The possibility of bringing in a young Spanish manager, like Marcelino or Emery, wasn't supported by anyone."

At this moment Guardiola would have the most support in the board. Some board members nevertheless think that the former Barcelona defensive midfielder lacks some experience and that appointing him would therefore be a risk both for Barcelona and Guardiola. They prefer Laudrup who is having an excellent season with Getafe.

While Barcelona has not yet contacted Laudrup, who plays tonight the final of the Spanish cup with Getafe against Valencia, they would have asked Guardiola to make a report about how 'his' Barcelona would look like. Guardiola has already handed his report to Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain, who has spread it to the board.

( you can read the headlines of the report here )


Read more:
Guardiola takes Mourinho's pole
Could Guardiola be the emergency solution?
Everybody loves Michael

The race to the bench: Guardiola takes Mourinho's pole (3)

If current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) will have to leave at the end of the season, Barcelona is expected to look for a manager with the same profile as the Dutchman, namely a manager who has an attacking style on the pitch, who looks for the dialogue with the players and who gives a worthy image of the club off the pitch. Barcelona president Joan Laporta again made that clear on a meeting with the penyes on Sunday, describing the way the team should always play: "We should choose to control the game. Our team likes to have the ball and play with it, seeking the victory by doing so."

Villareal manager Manuel Pellegrini (54), Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc (42) and Getafe manager Michael Laudrup (43) all seem to be high on the list of candidates. Although some fans apparently did not forget how Laudrup left for Real Madrid in the summer of 1994 (read more here). Yesterday there were some anti-Laudrup slogans visible in the Camp Nou, one of them reading: "Laudrup, traitor. We don't want you anymore."

The number one candidate nevertheless seems to be current Barcelona B manager Josep Guardiola (37). It is believed that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain is putting Guardiola forward as the main option to replace Rijkaard. Last year, it was also Begiristain who offered his former team-mate the opportunity to start his career as manager with Barcelona B. Apparently with the aim to make him gain experience and to give him a more important role in the near future. Although an appointment this summer would come earlier than anyone could have expected back then.

Guardiola is said to be a manager who tries to combine quality football with sacrifice, hard work and tactical strength. He values the indiviual talent but even more so the team work. The former Barcelona captain knows the club inside out and has charisma and a strong character, which all should allow him to deal with the fans, the press and the players.

Despite being a true Barcelona legend, Guardiola did not think he was too good to start his second career in the Spanish fourth division. Barcelona B is in the race for the promotional play off to return to the third division. Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the initial plan of Guardiola was to promote with Barcelona B and then stay with the team for one more year.

If offered the job of head coach of the first team, Guardiola knows that the risk of burning himself too early is real. Although the board is divided on the issue and no candidate has the support of all board members, Barcelona president Joan Laporta seems to approve the choice of his sports director, so the offer could well come in the next weeks.

(this is the third and last part of this contribution, the first part was published on Saturday, the second part was published yesterday)

Transfer history: Zidane, Henry and Blanc

In the book 'Wie is Johan Cruijff? Insiders duiden het orakel' (Who is Johan Cruijff? Insiders explain the oracle) by Dutch writers Mik Schots and Jan Luitzen, former Barcelona manager Johan Cruijff (60) talks about how Barcelona president Josep Lluís Núñez didn't let him buy any more players at the end of his term:

"In January or February of the year 1996, I had a verbal agreement with Zinédine Zidane and Thierry Henry and a few other players with whom I had a good personal relationship because we had the same ideas on the way of playing and because our characters matched. When I had to leave Barcelona, I told them: 'Take your own decision. If you still want to come to Barcelona, you should do it. If you don't want to come, you shouldn't do it.' From the three or four French players who would have come and play with us, Laurent Blanc was the only one who had already signed when I left. The others decided not to come."


French playmaker Zinédine Zidane (35) was at that time playing for Bordeaux. In the end, Zidane moved in the summer of 1996 to Juventus. French forward Thierry Henry (30) was playing for Monaco. In January of 1999, Henry left for Juventus. Henry later came to Barcelona in the summer of 2007.

French central defender Laurent Blanc (42) joined Barcelona from Auxere in the summer of 1996. After just one year, Blanc returned to France and joined Olympique Marseille because he wanted to play as a regular in view of the 1998 World Cup. In 1996 Blanc won the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona.

(read all Barcelona transfer history stories here --- or just read the stories of Luis Fabiano Cesc Ben Arfa)

Blanc wants to go step by step

Asked about the rumours linking him with Barcelona (read more here and here), Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc (42) said in an interview with Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport that it''s a satifaction to hear his name being connected with big teams. The former Barcelona and French national team central defender said he would like to manage a European top club, although not immediately: "First I want to do a good job here. Before I go and coach abroad, I would like to win something in France."

(read everything on the manager debate here)

Rijkaard or Mourinho

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo says that Barcelona is at the moment only considering two options on who should be the Barcelona manager next season: current manager Frank Rijkaard (45) or former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45). With the continuation of Rijkaard being the preferred option of the Barcelona board, since this would mean that they made the right choices and that their project is going well. This can nevertheless only be an option if the team wins the Liga or the Champions League this season.

If Rijkaard has to leave, there's one possible successor actively being monitored: José Mourinho. There has been no contact with other rumoured candidates like Getafe manager Michael Laudrup (43) or Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc (42). Since he's already in the club, Barcelona B manager Josep Guardiola (37) is a candidate with real possibilities, but only if the Mourinho option fails.

Laudrup or Blanc

Catalan television channel TV3 says that former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45) moves away from Barcelona and could replace Roberto Mancini as the new Inter Milan manager. This would leave two main candidates for the possible succession of current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard at the end of the season: Getafe manager Michael Laudrup (43) and Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc (42). Both former Barcelona players are performing well this season with modest teams.

A third option could be Barcelona B manager Josep Guardiola (37), although his lack of experience is seen as a major disadvantage.

(read everything on the manager debate here)

Mourinho or Blanc

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that, with the probable appointment of Dutch national team coach Marco Van Basten (43) as the new Ajax manager (read more here), the two remaining top candidates to become the next Barcelona coach (if current manager Frank Rijkaard would leave due to a board decision or out of his own free will) are José Mourinho and Laurent Blanc.

Former Chelsea manager Mourinho (45) would be the favourite of a part of the Barcelona board who thinks a firm hand and immediate results are needed.

Current Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc (42) would have the support of sports director Txiki Begiristain who is said to be impressed by the attacking and spectacular playing style of Blanc’s team.

Cruijff on Mourinho, Blanc and Valverde

In an interview with the Catalan television station TV3, Barcelona legend Johan Cruijff gave this weekend his opinion about the manager debate.

Cruijff made clear he did not veto or recommend former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45), like has been rumoured in several media. He said no one has asked him, nor did he talk to anyone about the Portuguese, denying at the same time he's the technical advisor in the background: "If I talk to Joan Laporta two or three times a year about football, then that's would be a lot."

Because he didn't yet see Bordeaux playing, Cruijf said he couldn't pass a judgement on Laurent Blanc (42). The Dutchman did however have words of praise for Espanyol manager Ernesto Valverde (44), who was also linked with Barcelona earlier this season: "He's doing a great job. I like to watch his team and I'm happy managers like him or Rijkaard try to make people enjoy."


(Cruijff's opinion on Rijkaard and Van Basten: see yesterday post)

Blanc is in the race too

Another day, another possible name to replace Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona manager next season. Spanish radio station Cadena Ser and Catalan radio station Ona FM claim that former Barcelona defender Laurent Blanc (42) is also one of the candidates. The Barcelona board would be impressed by his personality and his attacking playing style. His lack of experience could be a minus.

Laurent Blanc played for Barcelona in the season 1996-1997. He was signed by Johan Cruyff, who was however sacked on the day of Blanc's signing and later replaced by Sir Bobby Robson. Since last summer Blanc is the manager of Girondins Bordeaux, second in the French league.