The 35-year-old midfielder, whose career was touched by a drugs scandal, hangs up his boots with half a dozen Spanish titles (1991-94, 1998-99), and a Champions League trophy as a member of Johan Cruyff's 1992 Barca 'dream team'.

After a decade (1990-2001) at the Nou Camp Guardiola moved on to Serie A side Brescia for the 2000-01 season, then AS Roma before returning to Brescia in 2002-03 before a spell with Qatar outfit Al-Ahli.

Last year he received a seven-month prison sentence relating to his time in Italy when he was accused of using the banned steroid nandrolone which he was not made to serve.

"Pep" Guardiola was capped 47 times for Spain between 1992 and 2001 with one of his five goals for the national side coming in the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Announcing his retirement on the Catalan radio station RAC-1 on Tuesday he said he was tempted by the notion of becoming a manager.