"Tomorrow morning, let's talk."
At Barcelona's Presidential Tribune, Rosell felt his phone vibrate. When he took it out, he saw a concise yet deeply meaningful text message from Guardiola.
His hand visibly trembled, then he gently replied, "Where?"
"My place," Guardiola quickly answered.
Rosell knew Guardiola well. He was an extremely insecure person, which was why he liked making major decisions at home. It made him feel more at ease.
"Okay." Rosell replied again.
For a long time afterward, the phone remained silent.
After turning off his phone, Rosell let out a long sigh.
The sigh was filled with emotion, but at the same time, it seemed to carry the slightest hint of relief.
The emotion came from knowing that the page in Barcelona's history belonging to Guardiola had already been turned. The Barcelona that followed would face an uncertain challenge, and no one knew what Barça would become in the future.
The relief came because he could finally breathe easy.
Guardiola would resign. He would leave his post carrying the disgrace of the humiliating 0–8 defeat to Real Madrid. Rosell would then promote Guardiola's Assistant Coach, Vilanova, making him Barcelona's official Head Coach.
He had spoken with Vilanova as early as October of the previous year. He was a man with plenty of ideas and ambition. He was unwilling to remain Guardiola's assistant forever and had long wanted to stand on his own. Taking over Barcelona was undoubtedly his chance to rise to the top in one step. More importantly, he knew everything about Barça extremely well.
They had kept the matter hidden from Guardiola because the situation had still been unclear at the time. Guardiola merely refused to renew his contract and had not clearly stated that he intended to leave, so Rosell and Vilanova had continued meeting