Josep Guardiola Paves the Way for Rookies to Take the Hot Seat!

What's the name on the mind of every football enthusiast?

Cristiano Ronaldo? No.

Lionel Messi? No.

Kaka? No.

I'm thinking more along the lines of a certain Josep Guardiola.

Indeed, "Pep," as he's known around Spain, was given the daunting task of managing FC Barcelona and bringing glory back to the Nou Camp after the Catalan Giants decided to part ways with Frank Rijkaard.

Guardiola, an ex-Barcelona player himself, had no previous experience of managing or coaching except for a brief stint at helm of a Barcelona B side in 2007.

It was a gamble taken by Barcelona's president Joan Laporta, putting a lad of 38, with no previous experience, in charge of such a huge club—but as history reveals, it paid off.

Guardiola's appointment was followed by a massive exodus, as Ronaldinho to AC Milan, Deco to Chelsea, Gianluca Zambrotta to AC Milan, and Edmilson to Villarreal were just a few of the many high-profile departures from the Nou Camp.

Stepping out of the Rijkaard era, Guardiola revolutionized the Catalan Giants, making some new additions, including the return of Gerard Pique from Manchester United and Dani Alves arriving from Sevilla.

Guardiola kept an attacking strategy throughout the season, using his striker trio of Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o, and Thierry Henry to torment defenses both in La Liga and Europe.

The trio ended up with a staggering total of as many as 99 goals in all competitions, while Barcelona's tally was of 169 goals.

Under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, Barcelona claimed a remarkable "treble" of the Copa Del Rey, La Liga, and the UEFA Champions League.

After defeating Manchester United in Rome, Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the domestic cup, league, and European club titles in the same season.

Furthermore, Guardiola became the youngest coach ever to coach a Champions League winning team.

It was a risky move, but it clearly paid off.

AC Milan have followed up replacing Carlo Ancelotti with Leonardo, who, like Guardiola, has no previous coaching experience. Perhaps the era of the Fergusons, the Wengers, the Lippis, the Hiddinks, and the Redknapps is well and truly over—but hey, we all have to start somewhere, right?