BERLIN: Pep Guardiola will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season after the Spaniard decided not to extend his contract at the German champions and will be replaced by three-time Champions League-winning coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Bayern Chief Executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed the much-anticipated change in manager on Sunday, saying a three-year deal with Ancelotti has been completed.

“When I knew of the club’s interest I didn’t want to consider any other offer. I honestly wish Bayern Munich and my friend Pep Guardiola the best for the current season,” Ancelotti said.

The 56-year-old Ancelotti will bring a wealth of experience to Bayern having won the Champions League twice with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007, then with Real Madrid in 2014.

Despite the club’s willingness for him to stay on, Guardiola decided to leave after three seasons in charge. Guardiola flew home to Spain on Sunday to be with his family for Christmas and has given no indication of his future plans.

He will return in January when the Bavarian giants fly to Doha for a training camp before the season resumes on January 22 when they play Hamburg SV away.

“We are thankful to Guardiola for all he gave our club and hope to celebrate more success in the current season,” Rummenigge said in a statement.

“I am convinced that Pep and the team will work harder to reach the big sporting aims of the club, especially now that it is clear that Pep will leave.”

Guardiola’s departure was widely expected with several top Premier League clubs reportedly in the running to sign the 44-year-old former Barcelona coach, who had won 14 titles in four years at the Spanish club.

The Spaniard took over after Bayern’s 2012-13 treble-winning season and consolidated their domestic dominance with back-to-back league titles and a German Cup in his first two seasons in charge.

But he has yet to lead them to the Champions League title with Bayern losing at the semi-final stage on their previous two attempts.

Bayern are top of the league this season and through to the Champions League knockout stage and can still win the treble.

HUGE WINTER BREAK LEAD

A Thomas Mueller penalty on Saturday sealed Bayern’s 1-0 win at Hanover 96 which left the German league leaders eight points clear in the table and on course to become the first club to win a fourth straight Bundesliga.

With more than half a dozen players missing through injury Bayern, whose near-flawless first half to the campaign has seen them win 15 and lose one of their 17 games, needed Mueller’s 40th-minute penalty penalty to prevail as second-placed Borussia Dortmund conceded two late goals in a surprise 2-1 defeat at Cologne.

Dortmund dropped eight points off Bayern’s 46-point pace even though a first-half header from Sokratis Papastathopoulos had given them the lead in Cologne.

Simon Zoller equalised eight minutes from time after a mistake by stopper Roman Buerki and Anthony Modeste drilled in a last-minute winner.

Hertha Berlin finished the year third after Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou netted in Sunday’s 2-0 home win over Mainz 05 to continue their impressive run of results.

Their 10th win from 17 league games saw them move to 32 points, six behind Dortmund.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Mexico forward Javier Hernandez struck in the 73rd minute for his 12th goal of the season as they edged Ingolstadt 1-0 to climb to fourth place on 27.

Daniel Didavi scored twice for Stuttgart to leave the relegation zone with a 3-1 upset of VfL Wolfsburg in the late game.

Wolfsburg, who reached the knockout stage of the Champions League earlier this month, dropped to sixth on 26 points, a point behind Schalke 04 who trail Leverkusen on goal difference.

Europa League contenders Augsburg confirmed their improving form with a 1-0 win over Hamburg SV, their third straight victory and fourth in their last five matches, to move up to 12th spot on 19 points.

Eintracht Frankfurt earned an important 2-1 win over Werder Bremen to swap places with their opponents and move to 14th.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2015