Simply put: You don't replace a manager like Guardiola easily.
The 41-year-old is Barcelona's most successful coach, having led the Catalans to 13 trophies since taking over in the summer of 2008.
However, big clubs like Barcelona never stand still - and undoubtedly the search has already begun for his replacement.
Luis Enrique
Status: Serious Contender
Positive: Barcelona tend to favour appointing managers who are part of the Barcelona family and individuals who know the club very well. Current Roma boss Luis Enrique fits the bill perfectly here.
Enrique spent the majority of his playing days at Barcelona (he made over 200 appearances for the club) and until recently was manager of their B team. Guardiola was also manager of Barca's B team before successfully making the step up to take charge of the senior team.
As a player, Enrique actually joined Barca from bitter rivals Real Madrid, but managed to win over the respect of the Catalan faithful through perseverance and some inspirational performances. He remains a popular figure at the club.
Negative: Enrique's spell in charge of Roma has not been stellar with the Italian Serie A side currently sitting seventh in the league despite an influx of new players.
Enrique is contracted to Roma until 2013 and has previously dismissed speculation linking him with a return to Camp Nou.
Marcelo Bielsa
Status: Serious Contender
Positive: Athetic Bilbao coach Marcelo Bielsa is the big name signing Barca fans may crave to fill the shoes of Guardiola.
Bielsa is a highly respected figure within the game for his work with Argentina with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson among the greats who have paid tribute to the man in the past.
Guess who else has immense respect for Bielsa? Guardiola.
The Bilbao tactician has been credited as the manager to have influenced Guardiola the most and as a result, the pair share similar footballing philosophies.
The Argentinean is currently enjoying a fantastic first season in charge of Bilbao who he has taken to the Europa League final.
Negative: Bielsa's Bilbao and Guardiola's Barcelona may have their similarities, but the two men are worlds apart when it comes to their personalities.
Guardiola is laid back and hardly ever loses his temper even when in the glare of the constant media attention which comes when you are manager of Barcelona. He also enjoyed a very friendly relationship with his players. As a result Barcelona had no problem pressing opponents all over the pitch because the players believed in the manager - they put their bodies on the line for him.
On the other hand, Bielsa is a known task master and not someone who takes kindly to players not following his instructions. Will Barca's current crop of superstars work equally hard for him?
Arsene Wenger
Status: Contender
Positive: Perhaps a surprising addition to the list but Barcelona have always been about not only winning games, but winning with style. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is certainly a manager who believes in this mantra.
Wenger's strengths are the transfer market where he has built a world class reputation for unearthing young talents and turning them into bonafide stars - Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie to name just a few.
He may also be the perfect man to get the best out of current Barca midfielder Cesc Fabregas - who he developed at Arsenal. With Xavi and Iniesta not getting any younger, Barca could be looking at building their next all-conquering team around the midfield abilities of Fabregas.
Negative: Not part of the Barcelona family and has not won a major trophy at Arsenal for some time now.
Wenger also said he was "happy at Arsenal" when asked about the Barcelona job at his press conference on Friday.
Luis Milla
Status: Contender
Positive: Luis Milla is not a name which has been bandied around by the bookies as favourite to succeed Guardiola at Barcelona, but he should be considered.
Milla is currently manager of the Spain Under-21 side - which incidentally won the European Championship last year - and therefore he knows all about who the best young players in Spain are - including at Barcelona.
Negative: Milla doesn't have impressive credentials at club level when compared to the other candidates.
Outsiders
Johan Cruyff - Invented 'Total Football'. The perfect choice if Barcelona wants to replace one legendary Barcelona manager with another.
Andre Villas-Boas - Still regarded as the one of the best young managers in football despite an unsuccessful stint at Chelsea. He likes his teams to play an attacking style of football which suits the Barcelona hierarchy.
Laurent Blanc - France are enjoying a mini-revival in fortunes under Laurent Blanc who is also a former Barcelona player. He might be available in the summer if France fail to meet their Euro 2012 objectives.
Michael Laudrup / Ronald Koeman - Barcelona connected.
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