Guardiola to leave Bayern Munich at season's end; Ancelotti named replacement

Barcelona. Bayern Munich. Manchester City?

Pep Guardiola, the Spanish manager whose tactical brilliance has made him one of the most celebrated - and desired - bench bosses on the planet, is once again on the open market.

Guardiola, in the midst of rampant speculation over his managerial future, announced Sunday - in a move that has long been reported - that he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

The club wasted no time revealing the Spaniard's replacement, bringing in the only coach to have ever hoisted the Champions League trophy on three occasions:

"It's an honour for me to be a part of this great club next season, FC Bayern Munich," Ancelotti wrote on his official Twitter account. "When I knew of this club's interest, I didn't want to consider any other offer."

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had this to say of the appointment, which had been rumoured in recent months:

"Carlo Ancelotti has enjoyed success everywhere as a coach and has won the Champions League three times," Rummenigge said of the Italian. "Carlo is a calm, balanced expert, who knows how to deal with stars and favours a multifaceted style of play - we were looking for this, and we have found it. We are looking forward to working with him."

With the situation on Bayern's bench now sorted, the focus of the footballing world will shift to Guardiola, who instantly usurps recently fired bench boss Jose Mourinho as the most in-demand manager on the planet.

“We are grateful to Pep Guardiola for everything he has given our club since 2013," Rummenigge said.

(Courtesy: Sky Sports)

Though his immediate future is now clear, the confirmation of his departure was not accompanied by news of his longterm plans. Guardiola, 44, is expected by many to take over at Manchester City at the end of the season, replacing current boss Manuel Pellegrini.

Related - Ottmar Hitzfeld: Pep Guardiola will take over Manchester City next summer

Much to the chagrin of City supporters, though, he did not address those rumours. Not yet, at least.