Vilanova perfect to replace Pep – Puyol

TodayR Madrid vs Sevilla 12:00Zaragoza vs Athletic 16:00Málaga vs Valencia 18:00 Betis vs Atlético 19:45 Rayo vs Barca 21:30 MADRID Tito Vilanova is the ideal person to replace Pep Guardiola as Barcelona coach to continue developing the Catalan club’s eye-catching brand of football, captain Carles Puyol said on Saturday.Vilanova is to step up from assistant to take the reins at the Nou Camp next season after Guardiola announced on Friday he would not be continuing beyond the end of the current campaign.After an astonishing four-year reign, during which he led Barca to 13 titles, including two Champions League triumphs, Guardiola said he needed to take time out to recharge his batteries.“We all wanted Pep to continue,” Barca’s shaggy-haired defender Puyol told a news conference on Saturday.“Once he had decided to go for the reasons he gave, which we understand and respect, the best news we could have had was that Tito Vilanova would be staying.“It’s a blow Guardiola is going, but Tito staying means the project continues. Tito knows the team better than anyone, knows a great deal about football, and understands the philosophy perfectly.