Barcelona confirm Pep Guardiola's assistant Tito Vilanova will become first-team coach for next season

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola today announced he would be standing down at the end of the season to "recharge his batteries" with his assistant Tito Vilanova confirmed as his replacement.

Vilanova came through the Barcelona ranks with Guardiola and took up his current role in 2008, having also worked with the 41-year-old for Barcelona's B team.

Barca president Sandro Rosell announced Vilanova would step up into the top job at an emotional press conference in which Guardiola confirmed his departure and insisted the club would be left in safe hands with Vilanova.

The move to name a replacement so swiftly was a surprise with speculation in Spain linking the likes of Ernesto Valverde, Laurent Blanc and Marcelo Bielsa with the position once it became clear Guardiola was heading for the exit.

Sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, however, decided promoting from within, as they did with Guardiola, was the best way forward.

"We've always said that if the team needs players, we look at home first," he said. "Who do we have here at home? Tito."