On 27 April 2012, in front of cameras that clicked away at the press conference in Catalonia, Pep Guardiola announced that he would step down as Barcelona manager at the end of the season. He had led the Catalan club to 13 trophies in four years by then and would go on to win a 14th.
The likes of Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas looked visibly emotional; Lionel Messi opted to stay away from the news conference and later revealed that he felt too much emotion to face the media.
The nostalgia and gloom were understandable. He was and remains the most successful manager in Barcelona history. His departure felt like the end of an era, and indeed, it was. For all of Luis Enrique's success, Guardiola represented Barcelona in a way no one else has done since – in terms of identity, aesthetic value, style of play and most importantly, trophies.
Guardiola himself has had a roller coaster career since leaving Catalonia. His undisputed success in Bundesliga with Bayern Munich was tarnished by the club's inability to reach the Champions League final. His winning streak to start life in Manchester made the subsequent fade-out even more painful.
Neither the manager nor the club has enjoyed a similar level of success ever since Guardiola left Barcelona – and their identities remain so intricately linked with one another that Guardiola had to rule out the possibility of a reunion again as recently as February.
But not just for himself, not even just for the club, Guardiola should return to Barcelona for the greater good of football. Here are five reasons why Guardiola should move back to Barcelona:
#5 He in underappreciated elsewhere
One can almost sense the hidden glee and snigger that accompanies reports of a Guardiola team's loss. After all, it was so haughty of him to cast out England's beloved Joe Hart. How dare he pick Gabriel Jesus over the widely adulated Sergio Aguero? He must be insane to switch between a back three and a back four every other week. And don't even get me started on Jesus Navas at right back!
Guardiola is a true football scientist – tweaking established, even successful systems religiously in search of continuous improvement. He is no more excited by a dull 4-1 win than an innovative 0-0 draw. Several eyebrows were raised when Guardiola commented on the aftermath of a 1-1 draw at home against Liverpool in March that "it is one of the most special days of my life." Even at Bayern, stories of his successes were often with a backdrop of media-invented dressing room problems.
To truly feel loved again, to be appreciated for all his brilliance, to be forgiven for his minor eccentricities, Guardiola should move back to Barcelona. Even a person like Guardiola who may come across as aloof and forlorn relishes appreciation. No stadium on Earth is going to have as much love for Guardiola as Camp Nou – and deep inside, he must be yearning for it.
#4 Messi and Neymar
The GIF of Guardiola going ecstatic at the sight of Messi nutmegging Milner has become viral. It is no secret how much affection Messi and Guardiola have for each other. Messi would have certainly turned out to be the best in the game under any manager, but Guardiola's tactical schooling and positional reinvention helped Messi discover himself in his formative years.
How wonderful would it be if the same manager could be present to help him overcome the advancing years and reinvent himself as a midfield playmaker?
Elsewhere, a young Neymar is trying to elevate his name to the Messi-Ronaldo echelon. While his performances for Brazil have inspired awe, there is a case to argue that there is more to come from Neymar for Barcelona. With Suarez, Ronaldo and Messi entering their thirties, now is the time for Neymar to step up and establish his status as the top dog for Barcelona and in the world.
Step in, Pep Guardiola. Having gifted Argentina their best player for generations, Brazil fans would be indebted to Guardiola if he could mould Neymar in a similar way to take his game to the next level.
For all his qualities, Neymar is not yet a ruthless goal machine like Messi or Ronaldo. Guardiola would be the perfect manager to iron out his flaws. Less showboating, more intelligent running and pressing, accompanied with a keen sense of space – Neymar in Guardiola's hands would be a terrifying prospect for all defenders.
#3 He knows the club inside out
For Real Madrid, the process of hiring a manager is often exceedingly simple. Go out, get the best available manager in the world, done. But for Barcelona, things are slightly more complicated. As Gerardo Martino found out the hard way, things are not easy in Catalonia if you are not part of the club's illustrious history.
Barcelona often seek managers who know the club inside out. This is the reason Everton's Ronald Koeman continues to be linked very heavily to the post that will be vacant at the end of the season. Sure, they can hire Jorge Sampaoli if he doesn't join Argentina – but it would not be a universally welcomed decision.
Guardiola joined La Masia at the age of 13, rose through the ranks at the youth academy and played for them till the age of 30. He captained Barcelona for four years before leaving, and was one of the first names on the teamsheet during Barcelona's golden era under Johan Cruyff. No one embodies Barcelona like Guardiola does – perhaps not even his mentor and idol, the legendary Cruyff.
#2 Pep needs technically good footballers to really implement his style
It is all well and good talking about tiki-taka, dominating possession and pressing the lives out of opponents – but such a style inevitably needs the players to go with it. At Barcelona, Guardiola had a steady stream of talent pouring in from the academy level.
He was almost spoilt for choice, to the extent that a certain Alexis Sanchez (mooted now as his primary transfer target) often had to be overlooked due to the competition for places. The sight of Guardiola labouring on the touchlines in an attempt to coax tiki-taka out of Caballero, Clichy, Otamendi et al is really disheartening.
He is often accused of being an elitist manager. But if there can be managers who thrive in defying relegation, why can't there be managers who specialise on the other end of football hierarchy? Guardiola needs to stop pretending; there are only a handful of players in the world who can implement the football of his dreams. He may as well go to the club that promises him the best chance of it.
#1 It would be great for La Masia and in turn, Spain
It might be a simplistic view of things, but the last two World Cup winners have been from countries whose top club had been managed by Guardiola. England isn't about to win the World Cup anytime soon, of course, but the footballing culture Guardiola brings along should not be understated. Raheem Sterling is a fine example of a young player who has been rejuvenated after seeming like fading away under his previous manager.
Succumbing to the pressure exerted by their fierce rivals Real and bowing down to the short-termism of modern football, it is sad to see that Barcelona rely far less on La Masia today than they used to.
Under Guardiola, they created history in November 2012 when they fielded an entirely homegrown eleven at Levante for more than 75 minutes. Those days seem far off now – so does Spain's stranglehold over world football. Guardiola's return to Spain might be the shot-in-the-arm that La Masia, and in turn Spain, desperately needs.
