Wally with a Brolly

So the most sought-after football manager in the world (sorry Jose) has decided to join the Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. He had us all fooled, or so do the blind Premier League pundits think.

Did we really think Guardiola would join Chelsea? Only Roman Abramovich and people who don't understand what drives the former Barcelona manager thought so.

Chelsea is no project: the club has an unsustainable model and lacks continuity and stability. That was enough to discourage Pep from joining. I'm guessing the over-bearing presence of Abramovich and his trigger-happy attitude when it comes to sacking his managers was a sufficient argument for a refusal to join the SW6 club. I also wouldn't be surprised if the negative influence of certain players (Terry, Lampard) and the atrocious image the club suffers from had some sort of role in his decision not to join Chelski.

Abramovich: surely a reason why Pep didn't join Chelsea.

What should have been understood by all the people predicting his arrival to the Premier League is that Pep Guardiola is a true football man, but is also more than that. He views himself (and probably is) as an educated, thoughtful man who rationalises every decision he makes. And, for this reason, his choice to go to Bayern Munich is not so surprising. Germany is a thriving country where people are open-minded and welcoming (although the same can be said of the UK). Most importantly, it's a country where privacy and hard work is respected, and where controversies are nipped in the bud (something which can't be said about the UK). It's the perfect environment to develop a project.

It's easy to look at Guardiola's achievements and not feel too impressed. The common argument is that he inherited a team of stars and unbelievable players and barely had to do any coaching. If achieving two trebles (League-Cup-Champions' League) in 3 years is so easy then why hasn't it been a more regular occurrence? And as regards the strength of his team, why are we considering it so easy at Barcelona when José Mourinho only managed one league title and no Champions' League at Real Madrid, a team which has spent countless millions accumulating incredible talent over the years?

That cup is nothing to laugh at.

But what people must realise is that Pep's impact wasn't only felt in terms of Barcelona's success on the pitch. No, no, that would be too simple. In his four years at Barcelona, Pep managed to do two things which no other manager had done before.

His first impact was in changing the club from top to bottom. Sure Barcelona had a history of success, but that had been down to the arrival of superstars. Cruyff had been the first, then he had created the Dream Team with Stoichkov and Romario. Rivaldo and Ronaldinho had followed in helping maintain success. Barcelona, despite its proud history, had always 'kind of' bought its way to success. It was no different to Real Madrid in that regard, except that it spent lesser cash and brought home lesser stars. The only difference with its enemy was its Catalan identity symbolised by its 'Mes que un club' motto.

Pep changed all that. Impressed by what he had seen at the club, first as a player then as manager of the B team, he decided to bring back this Catalan imprint. It wasn't too hard to convince him after he witnessed Ronaldinho getting fat and Eto'o becoming more and more of a diva. Despite protests from the reserve team coaches, Pep's first decision was to bring through several youngsters. His stubbornness in that matter was impressive: both Busquets and Pedro were close to being released before Guardiola became the main man. He trusted them and turned them into World Cup and Euro winners. Pep wasn't so worried about their technical ability (although it was a factor); he was more interested in their affiliation to the club and their understanding that they should follow his instructions to the fullest. Guardiola was no dictator; but the impact he had on many players' careers meant they trusted him completely.

Pedro and Busquets: without Pep, where would they be?

It didn't stop with Pedro and Busquets either. Pep gave Piqué a chance after he was famously overlooked by Ferguson in favour of Jonny Evans. He also trusted Victor Valdés absolutely and finally gave Xavi and Inesta the keys to the team. A true Barcelona core was emerging, followed in the next few years by the introduction of players like Montoya, Sergi Roberto, Tello and the return of Jordi Alba and Cesc Fabregas. An emphasis was put on La Masia, the youth team training centre. Many graduated from there and were involved with the first team from the start. Guardiola created a model which meant the club could survive after him. This is not simply an extraordinary generation. It was a vision, one which Real Madrid never followed when it let players like Soldado, Negredo and Juan Mata go. It was a bold and brave decision which reaped dividends thanks to an unprecedented faith not only in the technical abilities of the players, but also in their hearts which bled Barca. It was a romantic gesture, but the genius resided into making it work, and Pep achieved just that.

But Pep's achievements didn't simply lay in success at the club. His greatest success was in revolutionising football itself.

There are very few managers who have had an indelible impact on the sport of football and its evolution.

Gusztav Sebes had been one of football's first innovators when he took over the Golden Hungary Team of Puskas and Kocsis. He instilled fitness work and an obsession on possession football which was way ahead of its time in the 1950's.

Rinus Michels at Ajax had also played an incredible role in the fluidity of football in the 1970's with that great Ajax team. Helped by Cruyff and Neeskens, Michels transformed his team into a moving unit where the whole team pressed, attacked and defended as one. He invented Total Football as we know it.

Michels and Cruyff: the promoters of Total Football.

Michels's talisman and star player, Johann Cruyff, had also started things rolling at Barcelona when he instigated the 4-3-3 as we know it now and placed great importance on the link between defence and midfield, as evidenced by the introduction (unsurprisingly) of Guardiola as his 'pivote'. But Cruyff's work was undone by Arrigo Sacchi's AC Milan team which was the first to press at such a high level up the pitch.

Sacchi: another visionary.

Guardiola joined these football visionaries when at Barcelona, and that was his second and ultimately greatest impact. He continuously blurred the traditional lines of football and was both a successor and innovator. His Barcelona team included Sacchi's high pressing line whilst implementing Michels's Total Football philosophy. Guardiola seemed to adopt Cruyff's 4-3-3.

But he changed much more. Giving total freedom to his players, Guardiola was the first manager to introduce the 'non-striker' formation. Granted, this was done with Lionel Messi, but Frank Rijkaard had continued to play the little magician down the wings. What's more, very few experts had thought it possible to play without a central striker as an anchor point and doubted Messi's ability to play up front. Guardiola even had to get rid of talented strikers such as Eto'o and Ibrahimovic to accomplish the undeniable success of the 'false number 9' which has since been adopted by Del Bosque for Spain. Not only did Pep's Barcelona team play without a central striker, but its attacking players constantly interchanged, creating havoc for opposition defences.

Messi: no Ballon d'Or before Pep joined. Four consecutive ones since. Not a coincidence.

And, with the licence granted to his wing-backs to press and play high, Guardiola even further undervalued the notion of traditional football formations. He had achieved the unthinkable. He had created a side with no fixed formation, able to adapt to any in-game situation and opponent. It was pure genius.

There will always be doubters, and Villanova's success this season, combined with Guardiola's relatively unsuccessful last season, seems to have undermined Pep's lasting legacy. But his achievements should not be discounted because of the ability of his players. Pep made these players. Xavi wasn't a leader before he joined, Iniesta was a burgeoning young player, Pique was heading nowhere on the bench at Man Utd and Busquets and Pedro were to be released. Messi was still a small, albeit very technical, winger. Pep made that team and made these players who they have become. And when you look at these footballers, that is quite an achievement.

Pep carried in triumph by his players: they owe much of their success to his vision.

So, when you think about Pep's footballing views and his romantic side, was it a surprise that he decided to join Bayern Munich? Absolutely not, even though hindsight is a beautiful thing.

Bayern possess all the values and ideals which have guided Pep. They have always brought players through their ranks (Schweinsteiger, Muller and Alaba being the latest), have always given their managers some time to implement their tactical nous, and have always been well run by people who have had a long affiliation with the club. Sure they might be called Hollywood FC by jealous opponents in Germany, but Bayern have always been an ambitious club with a distinct identity. The same cannot be said of Man City and Chelsea. Only Arsenal, Liverpool and perhaps Man Utd could have convinced Guardiola to move to England, due to their history. But Pep preferred a project.

So what can we expect from Pep in Germany? Only time will tell, but we can safely assume that Bayern will continue to bring young players through and will develop an attacking philosophy already firmly entrenched in the current team. Considering Guardiola's open-mindedness, it would not be surprising to see him adapt to the cultural differences between Spain and Germany.

The Allianz Arena: the soon to be new Theatre of Dreams?

Whatever will happen, Bayern have signed a footballing genius. One thing is for sure: it will be captivating to see Pep's and Bayern's evolution in the coming years.