After months of rumors, the decision has been made. According to Bayern Munich, starting this summer, Pep Guardiola will be their manager, taking on his first head coaching position after his period with Barcelona, replacing Jupp Heynckes.

It’s worth mentioning that Heynckes, in the middle of his second season with Bayern, isn’t going to be fired in the middle of a title race, as Bayern lead the Bundesliga, and with a Champions League campaign still to handle. Last season he led the team to their second final in three years, losing to Chelsea after a penalty shootout.

According to the German club, Pep Guardiola will take over from July 2013.

We are delighted that we were able to secure Pep Guardiola, who had been courted and contacted by many prestigious clubs. Pep Guardiola is one of the most successful coaches worldwide and we are convinced he will not only light up FC Bayern but also German football. We are looking forward to working with him from July 2013 onwards. We are extremely thankful for the work Jupp Heynckes has done. After his decision to leave we would be delighted if the team ensured of him an illustrious farewell. Only a big gun like Pep Guardiola came into question as an appropriate successor for him.

According to rumors around the club, Heynkes knew about the decision to replace him with Guardiola at the end of the season before it was announced.

Guardiola, who was chased by quite a few clubs around Europe, including Inter, AC Milan, Chelsea and Manchester City, has four years of coaching Barcelona behind him, winning three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies.