In 2009, FC Barcelona completed what was considered the unthinkable in European club football history. By the end of December six pieces of silverware found its way into the already packed trophy cupboard at Catalonia’s biggest club.The man behind this unprecedented period of success was just a year and a half into his professional coaching career in the top tier of Spanish football. Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola brought beautiful football back to Barcelona with a style of play referred to as ‘tiki-taka’.

It was his Barcelona team that proved to be the catalyst and core of a successful Spanish national team which won the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the last 2 European Championships. Since 2009, Guardiola has won 13 trophies with two clubs.Pep currently manages Bayern Munich but announced his intention to leave the Bavarian club at the end of the 2015/16 season. That announcement is sending clubs, and the men who coach them, into a tailspin – especially those in England. Jose Mourinho recently lost his job at reigning English champions Chelsea while Louis van Gaal and Manuel Pellegrini are on the brink of the sack at Manchester United and Manchester City.

Since firing Mourinho, Chelsea has hired Dutchman Guus Hiddink to coach the team until the end of the season; the Blues hierarchy is hoping to snap up Pep in the summer. Meanwhile rumours circulate that United’s van Gaal will be fired at the end of the season when Guardiola will be available, the same is being said about Pellegrini at City.

All three clubs possess countless moneybags and are ready to break the bank in an attempt to beat the other to Guardiola’s signature. The situation means Louis van Gaal and Manuel Pellegrini are always distracted with having to looking over their shoulders. The uncertain situation is certainly taking away from the performances of the respective teams.Despite a respectable manager in Jose Mourinho, who is interested in taking the United job in the summer, the Red Devils are adamant that Pep is the man for them. The iffy manager situation at the club has even become a block for potential signings.

Meanwhile the treatment of Manuel Pellegrini shows how fickle the sport can be. Man City is currently second behind Leicester City in the Premiership and is still in with a good shout in the Champions League – which is a first. However, winning the CL and BPL is not good enough for Blue Moon, when someone like Guardiola can win 6 trophies in a calendar year for you.