Pep Guardiola Picks Perfect Time to Leave Barcelona

There is a price for ultimate success, and it comes in the form of stress and exhaustion. Just ask the departing manager of FC Barcelona, Pep Guardiola. 

Barcelona will savor the remaining days under one of the most successful managers they have ever known. Pep Guardiola, a man that has led so many title winners, will step down. 

His announcement gave all the reasons as to why he would step off the perch standing near the top of the football world, via ESPN. 

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"Every day during four years, the demands are very high, the pressure, the necessary energy to push the players and enjoy it. I need to rest and move away."

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Life is too short to engage in incessant chores, and that is why this is the perfect time for the weary to get the rest he so very much deserves. 

In just four years as manager, Guardiola has crammed in a lifetime of success. Barcelona was near perfection for a brief blip of its already highly-decorated history. 

The 41-year-old Spanish manager will step down after the season, departing on a legacy that has seen him take 13 trophies, including two Champions League titles and three Spanish league titles. 

You would be hard pressed to find any manager, from any sport, that has been as successful over such a short period of time. 

But that much brilliance comes at a cost, and you can see it in his eyes and the slumping of his shoulders. 

Guardiola has had enough. 

This is where the perfect timing comes in. When you've had your feel of pressure, it's best to walk away before it becomes a catastrophic amount. 

There aren't many of us that have that luxury, but we applaud Guardiola's ability to take a respite that will be crucial before his next challenge presents itself, and there will be others. 

There is no question that any club would be thrilled to have him manage their side. Mark Doyle of Goal.com recently wrote how the Barcelona boss held no fond memories of the many Clasico fixtures he led, despite losing just one. 

The reason is that Barcelona's success never comes with celebration, but with relief, because victories are expected. 

That is the kind of stress that can only be managed in short doses. 

Take your vacation, Pep Guardiola, because you earned it. 

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