Luis Enrique has announced he will step down as Barcelona head coach at the end of this season.
The 46-year-old's contract expires in June and he will not renew, citing the need for rest.
He was thought to have previously come close to stepping away from the club at the end of a tumultuous first season in charge at Camp Nou, when he won a treble of LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles.
Luis Enrique confirmed the news in the wake of Barca's 6-1 win over Sporting Gijon on Wednesday, which, temporarily at least, took them above Real Madrid at the top of the table.
BREAKING NEWS: announces he will not continue as Barça manager next season. March 1, 2017
"I would like to thank the club for all the trust I have received. These have been three unforgettable years," he said at a post-match news conference.
Luis Enrique has constantly refused to commit his future to Camp Nou this term, and his decision to step away due to the pressures faced as Barca boss strikes a resemblance to Pep Guardiola, who - like the incumbent - enjoyed stunning success after previously coaching the B team.
Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli has been linked with taking charge of the Catalan giants, while Athletic Bilbao's Ernesto Valverde and Eusebio Sacristan of Real Sociedad - another Barcelona B alumnus - are reported to be in the running.
Having won league and cup doubles in each of his seasons in charge - a feat that could be repeated this term - as well as the Club World Cup, it seems scarcely believable Luis Enrique's future was in doubt long before his post-game announcement.
But the intense media scrutiny, which is often met with short shrift from the Asturian, and this season's failing in Europe are likely factors.
A damaging 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie left Barca's hopes of another continental crown in tatters, but they remain in a close fight with Madrid and outsiders Sevilla in their perennial battle for domestic dominance.
They will face Alaves in May's Copa del Rey final, in what is likely to be Luis Enrique's final game in charge.
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