Pep Guardiola Expected to Leave Manchester City After a Decade in Charge
Pep Guardiola is reportedly set to step down as Manchester City manager at the end of the season, concluding a 10-year reign that delivered 20 major trophies.
Despite having one year remaining on his contract, which was extended in November 2024 to run until the summer of 2027, multiple reports indicate the 55-year-old will step down after City’s final Premier League match of the campaign against Aston Villa on Sunday.
The anticipated announcement will mark the conclusion of a period of unprecedented dominance at the Etihad Stadium, during which Guardiola has secured 20 major trophies. His monumental haul includes six Premier League titles, a breakthrough Champions League triumph in 2023, and three FA Cups.
Guardiola lifted his latest piece of silverware on Saturday, steering City to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Speaking before the showpiece event, the Catalan cut a defiant figure regarding his future, pointing to his existing deal.
Asked if he felt sadness at potentially making his final visit to the national stadium, Guardiola firmly dismissed the notion. “No way. No way. I have a one year contract,” he stated. “I’ve been fucking fun. So, 19 titles, fighting for 20 in 10 years, it’s not bad, honestly.”
Despite those public assertions, figures around the club increasingly expect an official departure announcement before the domestic season concludes. City have already reportedly begun informing their sponsor partners that the news is imminent.
The timing of the expected exit would allow for a proper farewell at an open-top bus parade through Manchester on Monday, initially arranged to celebrate the club’s domestic cup double following their League Cup success in March. Attention is already turning to his successor, with former assistant Enzo Maresca strongly tipped to take the reins. The Italian coach previously worked within City’s academy before returning to serve on Guardiola’s staff during their 2022-23 Treble-winning season.
Maresca recently guided Chelsea to the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup, but has been out of work since parting ways with the London club by mutual consent in January. City reportedly held talks with Maresca earlier this season as they evaluated contingencies for Guardiola’s potential departure. Guardiola’s legacy in Manchester is secure, having redefined the standards of English football.
After arriving from Bayern Munich in July 2016, his side became the first Premier League team to reach 100 points in a single campaign, the first to win four successive top-flight titles, and only the second English club to win the Treble. Across 591 games in charge, he has masterminded 416 victories.
His influence stretches beyond his own club’s achievements, with his tactical blueprint deeply impacting the wider game. Fellow title challenger and current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta served as his assistant, while Liverpool boss Arne Slot has admitted his coaching philosophy was shaped by observing Guardiola’s teams.
City are still actively fighting for the Premier League title as they prepare for a crucial away trip to Bournemouth on Tuesday. They must win their remaining two fixtures against the Cherries and Aston Villa, while hoping leaders Arsenal drop points against Crystal Palace, to retain their domestic crown.
The backdrop to Guardiola’s expected departure remains the looming outcome of an independent commission’s investigation into more than 100 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations by City, a case that concluded its hearing in December 2024.
For now, the focus is firmly on the pitch, as the blue half of Manchester prepares to bid farewell to the most successful manager in their history.
