If ever proof were needed of the spell Pep Guardiola has cast on the world of football, yesterday was it. As it became apparent that the Barcelona legend after a year sabbatical would be returning to the game next season as the manager of Bayern Munich, the shockwaves among fans and media were as great as that of any player transfer story this season. But just who is the quiet sophisticate responsible for the greatest silverware haul in Barca's history with 14 trophies in 4 years, and how did he come to be one of the sport's most popular personalities?

Like so many Barcelona legends, Guardiola’s story began at La Masía, the old Catalan farmhouse situated near Camp Nou and home to Europe’s most prolific youth academy. Guardiola left his hometown of Santpedor to enrol in 1984 at the age of 13, and began working his way up through the youth system. Johan Cruyff’s appointment as Barcelona manager in 1988 would prove a seminal moment in Guardiola’s development.

In his first week at the club, Cruyff paid an impromptu visit to watch the youth team play at Barcelona’s ‘Mini’ stadium. As the match approached half-time, the Dutchman wandered over to youth coach Charly Rexach and instructed him to move the gangly Guardiola from right wing to defensive midfield pivot. Guardiola adapted to the unfamiliar role with ease. It was the first of Cruyff’s many innovations, and surely one of his most significant.

Two years later Guardiola was handed his first team debut, and in the 1991-92 season the 20-year-old became a first team regular, playing as pivot in Cruyff’s supreme European Cup and La Liga-winning Dream Team. Guardiola was heralded as one of the world’s brightest young talents, showing maturity and guile way beyond his tender years. As one of few Catalans among established foreign stars such as Michae Laudrup and Hristo Stoichkov, and a sizeable Basque contingent featuring Andoni Zubizarreta and José Mari Bakero, Guardiola became an indispensable member of the side.

In the 11 illustrious seasons that followed his 1990 debut, Guardiola won 16 trophies with Barcelona, including four consecutive La Liga titles between 1990 and 1994. Cruyff left his position as manager in 1996, and Guardiola was named club captain as members of the Dream Team gradually dispersed. More silverware followed under Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal, but in 2001 - having made 479 appearances for Barcelona and won 47 caps for Spain - Guardiola called time on his glorious career in Catalonia.

Few could have expected Guardiola to better the achievements of his playing career as a manager, but since his instalment at Camp Nou in 2008, that is exactly what he has done. Since winning a historic ‘sextuple’ of trophies in his first season in charge, Guardiola has led Barcelona to win 13 of 16 possible trophies in under four breathtaking years. He is already the most successful manager in the club’s history, having beaten his mentor Cruyff’s record total of 11 major trophies.

The phenomenal talent of one Leo Messi has, of course, been central to the success of Guardiola’s answer to Cruyff’s Dream Team. But Guardiola has instilled a sense of unity and family at Barcelona and nurtured the perfect environment for his team to flourish. A powerful team ethic prevails over the egos and disharmony that soured the latter stages of Frank Rijkaard’s reign. While José Mourinho's Real Madrid may be in pole position to land La Liga title this season, Guardiola has accrued a formidable record in Clásicos, with nine wins and only a single loss in 13 meetings.

For his midfield generals and fellow La Masía graduates Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Cesc Fabregas, Guardiola is not just a manager, but a role model and childhood hero. Iniesta, for one, grew up with a poster of Pep next to his bunk. It is through this ludicrously gifted collection of midfielders that Guardiola transmits the footballing principles he grew up with. The dark hair is gone, but the mind remains as sharp as ever, and the vision and inspiration that made him a Barcelona legend in the first place have extended to management seamlessly.

The numbers are staggering. In total, Guardiola has landed 29 trophies in under 15 seasons as a player and manager at Barcelona. He has been the driving force behind arguably the two greatest sides in football history. Barcelona players, directors and fans alike will be hoping to tie him down for years to come. He stepped down in 2012 eager to take a break from the game. Now, regardless of his move to Bayern, his is a legacy that will never be forgotten in Catalonia.

Managers are not usually seen as glamorous like the players they preside over. But Guardiola is a new breed of manager - a rockstar-like figure. The suave, sophisticated David Bowie to his former adversary Jose Mourinho's Iggy Pop. And like Bowie, who enjoyed his most creative period in 1976 after exiling himself to Berlin, a move to Germany seems destined to see Guardiola go from strength to strength.

It's been a whirlwind 2012 for Icons in which we've conducted signings with old friends Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, met with legends like Eric Cantona and Brazilian Ronaldo and struck up new partnerships with the amazing Pep Guardiola and Neymar. And on top of all that, we've just had our busiest Christmas ever. But what does 2013 have in store?

We're kicking off the new year in style this evening (a little early, we know) with the launch of our January Sale, slashing prices on our stunning range of signed memorabilia from the world's best players by up to 50%. Check back from 6pm GMT tonight (24 December) for:

• £50 off signed signed Leo Messi Barcelona 2012-13 season shirts and boots
• Up to £150 off signed Cristiano Ronaldo products
• 20% off our entire Preframed selection including signed framed items from the likes of Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and Olympian Jess Ennis.
• £100 off selected Andres Iniesta signed memorabilia

Top of Barcelona fans' Christmas wishlists this year will be a return to the top of La Liga after slipping to Real Madrid last season, but second on their letters to Santa might be a piece of stunning signed memorabilia from Icons. We have personally signed shirts, photos and boots from some of the Catalan team's stars guarenteed to make any Barca fanatic's festive season a special one. Here's just a taster of what we have to offer...

Leo Messi

With 80 goals already in 2012, Leo Messi just keeps getting better and better. The Barcelona star is the best player in the world and also its most popular - signed Messi memorabilia is Icons' biggest selling product and we're proud to have worked closely with the number 10 for the last six years, since he was 18 and still breaking into the Barca first team. Worshipped around the world, no other gift could light up a Barcelona fan's face on Christmas morning quite like a signed 2012-13 season shirt or perhaps a signed photo commemorating the moment he scored his record five goals in one game in the UEFA Champions League. We also have signed boots available in our innovative framing style and a number of other Messi products - click the link below to experience the entire range in all its glory and find yourself that perfect Christmas gift.

View our entire Leo Messi range

Andres Iniesta

Messi may take most of the plaudits but Iniesta is at the heart of Barcelona's every move and his spoken of as one of the greatest players of all time - and rightly so. An astonishingly gifted technical player, the number 8 is hugely popular and his collection of signed items, including signed shirts, boots and photos, continue to fly out of the doors here at Icons. Don't miss out - order now!

View the entire Andres Iniesta range

There's plenty more in our Barcelona range including past legends like Pep Guardiola and Ronaldo - check out our entire Barca collection now.

This weekend Icons travel to Barcelona for an exclusive signing session with the wonderful Andrés Iniesta. It marks our second meeting with the little Spanish midfield master, having held our first signing together back in April 2011. Iniesta’s remarkable trophy haul for club and country makes him one of the most decorated players on the planet at the age of just 27. But how did a shy, homesick boy from the Spanish countryside blossom into the world’s best midfielder?

After years living in the shadow of his superstar Barcelona teammates, it is only in recent seasons that Iniesta’s understated brilliance has received the recognition it deserves. Unsurprisingly, Leo Messi is the man grabbing the headlines this week for his remarkable five goals against Bayer Leverkusen, but without Iniesta, neither Messi nor Barcelona would be where they are today.

Iniesta grew up in Fuentealbilla, a small village in the province of Albacete in south-eastern Spain. The precocious talent he demonstrated as a boy in Albacete’s youth teams brought him to the attention of scouts, and in 1996, a 12-year-old Iniesta was enrolled at Barcelona’s fabled La Masía youth academy. Leaving home was heart-breaking for ‘Andrésito’, and years later, the midfielder confessed he “cried rivers” the day he was separated from his parents.

Slight, unassuming and pale-skinned due to a pigmentation problem, Iniesta is not in the mould of most modern football stars. But in his formative years at La Masía, his outstanding natural ability quickly caught the attention of numerous senior figures at Barcelona, notably his current manager, Pep Guardiola, club captain at the time. After watching a 14-year-old Iniesta in action for the first time, Guardiola - another graduate of La Masía - famously remarked that he had finally found someone who “reads the game better than me”. Iniesta had won over his childhood hero, a full ten years before he became his coach in 2008.

Iniesta’s rapid development continued, and he was called to train with the first team aged 16. That day, Guardiola turned to his teammate Xavi Hernández - a first team fixture already - and said: “You’re going to retire me, but Iniesta will retire us both.” With outstanding pace, vision, skill, and the ability to use his 5’7 frame to outwit larger opponents, Iniesta has proved to be everything Guardiola predicted. And more.

But rather than ousting Xavi from the Barcelona midfield, it is in tandem that the pair have excelled, at the heart of arguably the greatest club side in history. This time, Guardiola leads from the sidelines. Under his stewardship, Iniesta has been the creative hub of a side that has won 14 trophies in under four seasons, including a historic ‘sextuple’ in 2008-09. For European and World Champions Spain, the Iniesta-Xavi axis has proved equally devastating.

Short, sharp tiki-taka and intelligent movement are the Barcelona way, and Iniesta is its greatest exponent. But it hasn’t always been easy for him to make his voice heard among Barça’s bigger names.  His versatility and willingness to play in any position for the team under former manager Frank Rijkaard meant he was often overlooked in favour of more extrovert personalities. Once a hindrance, however, his unassuming and humble character has now made him the best-liked player on the planet.

Iniesta’s career so far has not been short of highlights, but two moments in particular stand out. For Barcelona, there was his stunning stoppage time winner in the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in 2009, an unforgettable effort which sent Guardiola’s side on their way to European glory. For Spain, meanwhile, he will never score a more important goal than his extra-time winner in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands.

Iniesta’s brilliance lies in the apparent ease with which goes about his job. Everything he does on the pitch looks natural, and his virtuosity brings out the very best in his teammates (watch his best assists here). Barcelona manager Guardiola has handed him greater responsibility since taking charge in 2008. The unparalleled success that has followed is no coincidence.

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Pre-order personally signed Andrés Iniesta shirts, boots and photos here

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Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona lock horns in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final this Wednesday at the Bernabeu. La Liga leaders Madrid have won 22 of their last 23 games, but Barcelona have a psychological advantage over their arch-rivals having lost only one Clásico in eight since José Mourinho took over. The tie will be settled next week at the Camp Nou, and to mark this momentous occasion we have dug out five classic Clásicos from recent years for your viewing pleasure.

*Remember to open video links in a new tab.

Leo Messi hat-trick

It was on the night of 11th March, 2007 that a 19-year-old Leo Messi became football’s hottest property. Three times Fabio Capello’s Real Madrid took the lead in this pulsating encounter at the Camp Nou, and three times they were pegged back by Messi. The Argentinian’s virtuoso performance overshadowed superstar teammates Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o, and in a thrilling finale he sealed his hat-trick with a stunning stoppage time equaliser. Collecting a Ronaldinho pass 30 yards from goal, Messi accelerated away from two defenders and coolly steered the ball past Iker Casillas to level it up at 3-3.

Real Madrid demolish the 'Dream Team'

Messi’s treble in 2007 was the first in a Clásico since 1995, when Real Madrid’s Chilean striker Ivan Zamorano was the hat-trick hero as they demolished Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’ 5-0 at the Bernabeu. 364 days previously, Barcelona had thrashed Madrid by the same scoreline at the Camp Nou, but the crucial difference this time around was that Danish midfielder Michael Laudrup had since switched clubs. The Dane was influential in both fixtures, and it was no coincidence that he won La Liga with each club consecutively. The 1994/95 La Liga title with Madrid was his fifth in a row.

'Match of the Century'

In 2002 Real Madrid proved their dominance over Barcelona with this impressive Champions League semi-final triumph. In a contest billed ‘Match of the Century’ by the Spanish media, Zinedine Zidane inspired Madrid’s Galacticos to a crucial 2-0 win in the first leg at the Camp Nou. The Frenchman gave Madrid the lead with a glorious chip before England winger Steve McManaman added a second late on with another superb lofted finish. The return leg at the Bernabeu finished 1-1 and Real Madrid safely booked their place in the final. With his unforgettable volleyed winner, Zidane would play a pretty crucial role in that game too.

Ronaldinho's standing ovation

A standing ovation from your own fans is one thing, but to receive one from your most hated rivals as Ronaldinho did in November 2005 is practically unheard of. In his glorious pomp, the buck-toothed Brazilian was almost unplayable. Samuel Eto’o opened the scoring for Barcelona in this magnificent 3-0 victory after a probing run from one Leo Messi, but the brilliant Ronaldinho stole the show with two stunning individual goals cutting in from the left hand side. Barca romped to the title that year, finishing 12 points clear of their arch-rivals.

The guard of honour

Barcelona's turn to be humbled here, as they are forced to give newly crowned La Liga champions Madrid a guard of honour before this meeting at the Bernabeu in May 2008. As if that wasn't humiliating enough, Madrid went on to thrash the visitors 4-1 with goals from Raúl, Robben, Higuaín and van Nistelrooy. The day after this dismal defeat, Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard was sacked. In came Pep Guardiola, and, well, you know the rest.

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To view our amazing range of signed Barcelona products click here

For the Real Madrid range click here

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