The shocking news was revealed in the May 5 edition of the Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport: although Guardiola's contract with Barcelona does not expire until 2012, he is very likely to leave this summer, and his next destination could be Inter Milan. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, if Guardiola can lead his team to win the Champions League trophy, he will leave Barcelona and Spain. It could even be said that whether or not he wins the Champions League is no longer a decisive factor for him. Guardiola has already won everything at Barcelona, and honors are no longer his top priority. The results are not important; what Guardiola values is the coaching experience. He needs to change his environment and rediscover fresh feelings. This adventurous spirit is exactly Guardiola's character.
In fact, Guardiola has already started preparing for his farewell from Barcelona. In early April, while participating in a program by an Italian radio station, he said, "I think my time here is almost over. No one should coach a team for too long because over time, players and coaches start to get tired of each other." After eliminating Real Madrid and advancing to the Champions League final this week, Guardiola's words sounded like a farewell: "It will be very difficult for me to encounter a team like Barcelona in my future coaching career. I have endless gratitude towards these players."
Reality proves that Leonardo has only brought short-term passion to Inter Milan, especially giving the players a mental boost. However, when truly tested, this rookie in the coaching world still lacks real skills. The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Moratti is ready to welcome Guardiola this summer. Once both parties reach an agreement, Leonardo will only have two options: either accept the role of team manager or leave. Inter Milan is showing enough sincerity, but what about Guardiola? Although Guardiola's agent Orobitg repeatedly stated that Guardiola's contract with Barcelona expires next year and he will still be Barcelona's coach next season, these words lack credibility in front of former Spanish star Luis Suarez. Suarez, who achieved great success at Inter Milan, recently told Italian telenova TV that Guardiola is willing to coach Inter Milan: "He is very willing to go to Inter Milan. We discussed this last December. Guardiola told me that if Moratti invites him, he will not refuse. I've known Guardiola for many years, and if he wants to start a new journey, Inter Milan will be a very suitable team. He will achieve excellent results in Italy." Suarez continued, "I'm not asking or suggesting how Guardiola should act; I'm just saying he won't refuse Inter Milan's invitation." Regarding the current Inter Milan coach Leonardo, Suarez also made an evaluation: "He did a good job. If Inter Milan cannot end the season with the best results, we cannot blame him. Of course, Leo might continue to stay, who knows. Inter Milan must start the process of rejuvenating the team."
If Leonardo has begun to lose the support of the dressing room, then Guardiola's arrival at Inter Milan would not face such a problem, and there might even be a "surprise" awaiting him. This "surprise" is Eto'o, a key figure in the Inter Milan dressing room. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Eto'o will be Guardiola's biggest supporter in the Inter Milan dressing room. People may feel surprised, as in the summer of 2009, when Eto'o left Barcelona, they had a very bad parting, and the relationship between him and Guardiola was described by the Spanish media as "enemies," but that was not the case. Italian star Altobelli clarified this matter during an interview with the website CalcioMercato: "I talked to Guardiola about this, and he said there was never any problem between him and Eto'o. At the time, it was a conflict between Eto'o and Barcelona's management, while the situation with Ibrahimovic leaving was completely opposite." Eto'o's attitude also confirms this point. After Mourinho left last summer, Eto'o said in an interview: "Regarding the new coach, if Moratti asks for my opinion, I would say Guardiola is one of the best coaches in the world, and he will achieve outstanding results in Milan." Moreover, in January this year, during his participation in the 'Zia Bretti Night' program, Eto'o expressed that he often exchanges phone calls with Guardiola, and even secretly told his close friend, former Parma player Daniel Bravo, that "from a tactical perspective, Guardiola is better than Mourinho."
Inter Milan coach Leonardo joined the Nerazzurri during last winter's break. Moratti gave him a contract that lasted until 2012. At the time, almost everyone thought Leonardo was just a transitional figure at Inter Milan. Signing him for only half a season was planned for Mourinho's return. But now it seems more like a tacit understanding between Moratti and Guardiola. Moratti knew well that Mourinho's character determined that he would not leave Real Madrid in the short term, and at that time, he had already targeted Guardiola. In March this year, Guardiola chose to extend his contract with Barcelona for another year, temporarily quelling rumors about his departure. In reality, some clauses in the contract stipulated that if Guardiola wanted to leave, he could do so without any hindrance. And after the news of the renewal came out in Spain, Moratti publicly stated that Leonardo would not leave next season. Both sides responded simultaneously, which cannot be called anything but默契 (tacit understanding).