Distraught Guardiola set to exit Barca at end of season

The 41-year-old – whose contract expires at the end of June – had a three-hour meeting with club president Sandro Rosell yesterday to discuss his future, reports said.

Barca would not confirm any announcement was scheduled but a source close to the club, who asked not to be identified, said Guardiola had informed Rosell of his decision to quit.

The source added that, while he could change his mind at the last moment after talking to his family, it looked unlikely he would extend his four years in charge.

Rosell is desperate to persuade Guardiola to stay on, and the longer he has delayed his decision the more speculation has grown that he might be lured to another club, with reports linking him to the Chelsea and Inter Milan jobs, among others. Some reports suggested he was in line to become the next England manager or that he was planning to take a sabbatical.

The odds on Guardiola taking over from Fabio Capello at the helm of the England team narrowed on Thursday. One bookmaker quoted him as 22/1 early yesterday but those odds fell to 14/1.

The former Barcelona and Spain midfielder has preferred to renew his contract on an annual basis and waited until 8 February last year before agreeing a deal. He went on to capture a third straight La Liga title and a second Champions League crown, as well as the Spanish and European Super Cups and the Club World Cup, and has led Barca to 13 trophies since taking over in 2008.

Barca’s last chance of silverware this season is in the King’s Cup. They play Athletic Bilbao in next month’s final in Madrid.