MADRID (Reuters) – Tito Vilanova’s step up from assistant to Barcelona coach for next season is a sign of continuity rather than the end of an era, the outgoing Pep Guardiola said after Friday’s 3-0 King’s Cup final triumph.

Guardiola signed off the same way that he started at Barcelona with a Cup final win over Athletic Bilbao, securing his 14th trophy from the 19 competitions he has competed in since taking charge in 2008.

“The important thing is that, with the concept we have, it will continue,” Guardiola told his last post-match news conference at the Calderon in Madrid.

“These players will be just as competitive. Everything will continue the same. The way we play didn’t start and doesn’t finish with me.

“I leave with my head held high and with the club in a position so that everything will carry on functioning the way it has been doing.”

Guardiola has said he is taking time out to rest but reports in England and Italy have speculated that European champions Chelsea and Inter Milan are keen to lure him back to football as soon as possible.

He embraced his close friend Vilanova on the touchline at the final whistle after Barca wrapped up a comprehensive victory to ease some of pain after losing their La Liga and Champions League titles.

MADRID, May 26 (Reuters) – Tito Vilanova’s step up from assistant to Barcelona coach for next season is a sign of continuity rather than the end of an era, the outgoing Pep Guardiola said after Friday’s 3-0 King’s Cup final triumph.

Guardiola signed off the same way that he started at Barcelona with a Cup final win over Athletic Bilbao, securing his 14th trophy from the 19 competitions he has competed in since taking charge in 2008.

“The important thing is that, with the concept we have, it will continue,” Guardiola told his last post-match news conference at the Calderon in Madrid.

“These players will be just as competitive. Everything will continue the same. The way we play didn’t start and doesn’t finish with me.

“I leave with my head held high and with the club in a position so that everything will carry on functioning the way it has been doing.”

Guardiola has said he is taking time out to rest but reports in England and Italy have speculated that European champions Chelsea and Inter Milan are keen to lure him back to football as soon as possible.

He embraced his close friend Vilanova on the touchline at the final whistle after Barca wrapped up a comprehensive victory to ease some of pain after losing their La Liga and Champions League titles.

MADRID (Reuters) – Barcelona gave Pep Guardiola a fitting end to his glittering four-year reign as coach winning the King’s Cup final against Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on Friday to send him off with a 14th trophy under his arm.

Pedro scored a brace and the outstanding player of the Guardiola era, World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, added the other to finish with an unprecedented 73 goals in all competitions this season.

Guardiola hands over to his assistant Tito Vilanova for next season, as he goes off to recharge his batteries, after winning three consecutive La Liga titles, two Champions League crowns in 2009 and 2011, and two King’s Cups.

His 14 trophies matches Johan Cruyff’s tally from eight years as Barca coach, and of the 19 competitions he has competed in, it is easier to list the five he has failed to snare.

Guardiola lost the King’s Cup final 1-0 after extra-time against Real Madrid last year and made a last 16 exit in 2010. He twice fell in the Champions League semi-finals to eventual winners Inter Milan and Chelsea.

In the league, Barca only lost out to Real to finish second earlier this month after Jose Mourinho’s side broke the league points and goal-scoring record to top the standings.

“Winning 14 titles in four years is very difficult and we are very satisfied,” a beaming Guardiola told a news conference.”

MADRID, May 25 (Reuters) – Barcelona gave Pep Guardiola a fitting end to his glittering four-year reign as coach winning the King’s Cup final against Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on Friday to send him off with a 14th trophy under his arm.

Pedro scored a brace and the outstanding player of the Guardiola era, World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, added the other to finish with an unprecedented 73 goals in all competitions this season.

Guardiola hands over to his assistant Tito Vilanova for next season, as he goes off to recharge his batteries, after winning three consecutive La Liga titles, two Champions League crowns in 2009 and 2011, and two King’s Cups.

His 14 trophies matches Johan Cruyff’s tally from eight years as Barca coach, and of the 19 competitions he has competed in, it is easier to list the five he has failed to snare.

Guardiola lost the King’s Cup final 1-0 after extra-time against Real Madrid last year and made a last 16 exit in 2010. He twice fell in the Champions League semi-finals to eventual winners Inter Milan and Chelsea.

In the league, Barca only lost out to Real to finish second earlier this month after Jose Mourinho’s side broke the league points and goal-scoring record to top the standings.

“Winning 14 titles in four years is very difficult and we are very satisfied,” a beaming Guardiola told a news conference.”

MADRID (Reuters) – Barcelona have the chance to end the Pep Guardiola era in precisely the same way it began, with a King’s Cup final win over Athletic Bilbao on Friday.

A drained Guardiola is to step aside and hand over the reins to his close friend and assistant Tito Vilanova for next season, but will hope to walk away with a 14th trophy from his glittering four-year spell in charge.

The former Spanish international kicked off his trophy-winning run with a 4-1 Cup final win over Bilbao in May 2009.

“His departure is traumatic for me,” Barca and Spain defender Gerard Pique, who returned to the Nou Camp just as Guardiola arrived in 2008, told a news conference.

“I feel I am a much better player thanks to him and the whole team has learned a great deal. He will leave a void, but we’ll carry on with Tito and we’ll do well. That’s football, all eras come to an end.”

Barca have already won the European and Spanish Super Cups and the Club World Cup this season, but missed out on the major prizes in the closing weeks of the campaign.

They were denied a fourth consecutive La Liga crown by Real Madrid, and fell to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals, before Guardiola’s shock decision not to renew his contract.

MADRID, May 23 (Reuters) – Barcelona have the chance to end the Pep Guardiola era in precisely the same way it began, with a King’s Cup final win over Athletic Bilbao on Friday.

A drained Guardiola is to step aside and hand over the reins to his close friend and assistant Tito Vilanova for next season, but will hope to walk away with a 14th trophy from his glittering four-year spell in charge.

The former Spanish international kicked off his trophy-winning run with a 4-1 Cup final win over Bilbao in May 2009.

“His departure is traumatic for me,” Barca and Spain defender Gerard Pique, who returned to the Nou Camp just as Guardiola arrived in 2008, told a news conference.

“I feel I am a much better player thanks to him and the whole team has learned a great deal. He will leave a void, but we’ll carry on with Tito and we’ll do well. That’s football, all eras come to an end.”

Barca have already won the European and Spanish Super Cups and the Club World Cup this season, but missed out on the major prizes in the closing weeks of the campaign.

They were denied a fourth consecutive La Liga crown by Real Madrid, and fell to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals, before Guardiola’s shock decision not to renew his contract.

MADRID (Reuters) – Jose Mourinho said he was motivated by the challenges ahead at Real Madrid after agreeing a two-year contract extension on Tuesday which tied him to the Spanish champions until 2016.

“I’ve loved the professional experience I’ve had of working for different clubs in different countries and cultures,” the Portuguese said in an interview published on the club’s website (www.realmadrid.com).

“It’s different for me now because I’m thinking about a club long-term. (Real) has been more demanding and has forced me to do my absolute best due to the difficulties I have had to face.

“I’ve had to improve as a coach and a professional. I think it is the perfect challenge for the next four years. I need these great challenges at this time in my career.”

Mourinho, the self-styled ‘Special One’, joined Real from Inter Milan in 2010 on a four-year deal and led them to victory in the King’s Cup final in his first season, the club’s first cup triumph in 18 years.

They won their first La Liga title for four years this month, smashing league records along the way and ending Barcelona’s domestic dominance.

Real set a new points record of 100 from 38 games, beating the previous best of 99 achieved by Pep Guardiola’s side in 2009, and broke the league’s goal-scoring record of 107 set by the Whites in 1989-90 by finding the net 121 times.

MADRID, May 22 (Reuters) – Jose Mourinho said he was motivated by the challenges ahead at Real Madrid after agreeing a two-year contract extension on Tuesday which tied him to the Spanish champions until 2016.

“I’ve loved the professional experience I’ve had of working for different clubs in different countries and cultures,” the Portuguese said in an interview published on the club’s website (www.realmadrid.com).

“It’s different for me now because I’m thinking about a club long-term. (Real) has been more demanding and has forced me to do my absolute best due to the difficulties I have had to face.

“I’ve had to improve as a coach and a professional. I think it is the perfect challenge for the next four years. I need these great challenges at this time in my career.”

Mourinho, the self-styled ‘Special One’, joined Real from Inter Milan in 2010 on a four-year deal and led them to victory in the King’s Cup final in his first season, the club’s first cup triumph in 18 years.

They won their first La Liga title for four years this month, smashing league records along the way and ending Barcelona’s domestic dominance.

Real set a new points record of 100 from 38 games, beating the previous best of 99 achieved by Pep Guardiola’s side in 2009, and broke the league’s goal-scoring record of 107 set by the Whites in 1989-90 by finding the net 121 times.

MADRID (Reuters) – Jose Mourinho has agreed a two-year contract extension with Real Madrid which ties him to the club until 2016, the Spanish champions said on Tuesday.

Mourinho, the self-styled Special One, joined Real from Inter Milan in 2010 on a four-year deal and led them to victory in the King’s Cup final in his first season, the club’s first cup triumph in 18 years.

They won their first La Liga title for four years this month, smashing league records along the way and ending Barcelona’s domestic dominance.

Real set a new points record of 100 from 38 games, beating the previous best of 99 achieved by Pep Guardiola’s side in 2009, and broke the league’s goal-scoring record of 107 set by the Whites in 1989-90 by finding the net 121 times.

On a personal level, the league title was Mourinho’s seventh after winning two in Portugal with Porto, two in England with Chelsea and two in Italy with Inter.

Mourinho’s next big challenge is to win a 10th European Cup for Rea, and his third with a different club after Champions League successes with Porto in 2004 and Inter in 2010.

Real have fallen in the semi-finals to Barcelona and Bayern Munich in his two years in charge. The last time they reached the final four before then was 2003.

MADRID, May 22 (Reuters) – Jose Mourinho has agreed a two-year contract extension with Real Madrid which ties him to the club until 2016, the Spanish champions said on Tuesday.

Mourinho, the self-styled Special One, joined Real from Inter Milan in 2010 on a four-year deal and led them to victory in the King’s Cup final in his first season, the club’s first cup triumph in 18 years.

They won their first La Liga title for four years this month, smashing league records along the way and ending Barcelona’s domestic dominance.

Real set a new points record of 100 from 38 games, beating the previous best of 99 achieved by Pep Guardiola’s side in 2009, and broke the league’s goal-scoring record of 107 set by the Whites in 1989-90 by finding the net 121 times.

On a personal level, the league title was Mourinho’s seventh after winning two in Portugal with Porto, two in England with Chelsea and two in Italy with Inter.

Mourinho’s next big challenge is to win a 10th European Cup for Rea, and his third with a different club after Champions League successes with Porto in 2004 and Inter in 2010.

Real have fallen in the semi-finals to Barcelona and Bayern Munich in his two years in charge. The last time they reached the final four before then was 2003.