Wednesday, 16th January, 2013
Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas admits he was so surprised to hear the news that Pep Guardiola is taking over as Bayern Munich coach that he asked his media advisor to check.
Guardiola has signed a three-year contract to take over as Bayern Munich coach from the summer, when he will succeed Jupp Heynckes.
Villas-Boas believes that the Bavarians will be a great fit for the Catalan tactician, even if he admits to being very surprised when he was told Guardiola is landing at the Allianz Arena.
"I’m so surprised that I asked my media advisor from Tottenham if it was true. Obviously its a big, big club, one of the biggest clubs in the world, in a league where we didn’t maybe expect Guardiola to be in", he told CNN World Sport.
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"Obviously, there’s a great respect from all managers towards Jupp Heynckes and what he has achieved in his career. Guardiola is obviously going to become one of the greatest managers in football. He’s won I think 14 trophies in 16 [competitions] and he’s [had] such an amazing career.
"I think in Bayern he will find the right set-up to continue, not only to promote his message of football which is immense, you know, the way he believes in this game and the way he has changed the nature of the game, you know, people appreciate it and I think the example that he is; as a person, as a leader, through his professional career and through his coaching career too."
Guardiola was expected to make his return to coaching in England, a country he concedes he wants to work in.
The former Barcelona boss has been linked with some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, with Chelsea leading the chase for his signature.
But it is Germany’s Bundesliga which is set to be Guardiola’s home for the next three years.
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