Pep poised to helm City ship

Guardiola will have free hand to command at Eastlands

A dream four years in the making was finally realized on Monday when Pep Guardiola was announced as Manchester City's next manager - a step the club's billionaire owners hope will transform world soccer on and off the field.

On it, the respected 44-year-old, currently seeing out his final season with Bayern Munich, will be handed the simple target of winning the Champions League within the three-year contract to which he has agreed, which will pay him a reported $21 million a season.