Global Nomad to Munich: Guardiola's Football Philosophy

What should you do when you have your pick of any number of international assignment? Maybe look at the actions of soccer manager Pep Guardiola. The former Barcelona chief signed a three-year contract to manage German powerhouse Bayern Munich after an unprecedented, hugely successful stint at Barca.

Will Munich Fall in Love with Pep?

Making Your Next Move 

After Barca, he moved to New York for his kids to get some immersion in English and contemplated his next move.

After his trophy haul at Barcelona, the world's top clubs were just waiting for him to signal his return to the game. With a few exceptions, he had his pick of teams in Europe.

Leader in His Field

That's why Guardiola's choice of Bayern is so interesting. He chose based on ethos and this dovetails with doshebu's philosophy on international assignments.

Although salary details were not disclosed, it's almost certain he could have gotten more money at either Chelsea or Manchester City, both of which have billionaire owners ready to spend freely to improve their teams.

But it's clear that Guardiola's time at Barcelona shaped his idea of how a soccer club should be run and wanted that same philosophy to be present in his new endeavor.

Manchester City has very little history of developing youth talent (although it is investing in this) and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich changes managers more than yachts.

Bayern, on the other hand, is a well-run, very transparent club with good governance. It will likely give Guardiola a strong leadership position as the public face of the club (no pesky super-rich owner hovering in the luxury box).

And like Barcelona, it also has a strong commitment to supporters and has kept ticket prices down compared with other continental giants.

Clearly Guardiola was looking for that kind of familiarity and stability and it trumped cash and also the comfort of knowing the language (he doesn't speak German -- yet).