Pep Guardiola is leaving Manchester City after ten trophy-laden years, bringing the curtain down on one of the most remarkable managerial reigns in English football history. The 55-year-old Catalan will stand down following Sunday’s final Premier League match of the season against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium, with confirmation of his departure expected on the day itself.
City are understood to have begun informing their sponsor partners of the imminent announcement, and the news has been an open secret among those closest to Guardiola for some time. Guardiola has repeatedly referenced having one year remaining on his contract – a deal that officially runs until 2027 – but sources indicate his departure at the end of this campaign is now all but certain. The forthcoming exit of his long-time fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura is seen as a further sign that the end of an era is approaching. It remains possible that Guardiola will stay on at the club in some capacity.
Sunday’s final whistle will mark the conclusion of ten years in which Guardiola transformed Manchester City into a global powerhouse, winning 20 major trophies. The club has already arranged an open-top bus parade for Monday, which will celebrate the achievements of the men’s, women’s and academy teams for the 2025-26 season. The parade will begin in Manchester’s Northern Quarter at 4pm and finish an hour later outside the Colin Bell Stand reception at the Etihad, followed by an after-party at the Co-op Live arena.
Before that, Guardiola still has two more matches to navigate. City are locked in a battle with Arsenal for the Premier League title and face Bournemouth away on Tuesday evening before the final showdown with Aston Villa on Sunday. They enter those contests on the back of an FA Cup triumph, having beaten Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday, with Antoine Semenyo scoring the winning goal to add yet another piece of silverware to Guardiola’s collection.
A Legacy of Unmatched Success
Guardiola’s record at Manchester City is without precedent in the modern English game. His team have won six Premier League titles, including an extraordinary four in succession between 2019 and 2024 – a feat never before achieved in the history of English football. That run of dominance redefined the boundaries of consistency and excellence, with Guardiola’s side accumulating points totals that shattered previous benchmarks.
Beyond the league, his trophy haul includes six FA Cups and five League Cups, but the crowning moment came in the 2022-23 season when City captured their first ever Champions League title. That triumph completed a historic treble – the perfect synthesis of Guardiola’s possession-based philosophy and ruthless efficiency. The Catalan’s tactical innovations have reshaped how football is played in the Premier League and influenced coaches across Europe.
Guardiola joined City in the summer of 2016 after leaving Bayern Munich, inheriting a club with ambition but no European pedigree. He leaves it as one of the world’s leading clubs, with a state-of-the-art training complex, a positive and inclusive culture, and a trophy cabinet that rivals any in the sport. While his Champions League success – just one title – has occasionally drawn scrutiny given his resources, his domestic dominance has been absolute. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time.
The Race to Succeed Guardiola
Attention will now turn to who will succeed Guardiola in the dugout. The leading candidate is Enzo Maresca, the former Chelsea manager, who has a strong connection to Manchester City. Maresca served as an assistant to Guardiola during the 2022-23 treble-winning season and previously managed the club’s Elite Development Squad. Reports indicate that he has reached an agreement in principle with City on a contract that could run until 2028, with an option for a further year.
Another name in the frame is Vincent Kompany, now in charge at Bayern Munich. Kompany, a former City captain, has had a varied managerial career: he led Burnley to promotion from the Championship before being relegated from the Premier League, and then took over at the Allianz Arena. His ties to the club make him a sentimental favourite, though Maresca’s direct experience of Guardiola’s methods and system is understood to give him an edge.
Whoever takes over will inherit a squad that has been meticulously built to dominate English football, but the task of replacing Guardiola – a manager who won 20 trophies in ten years and set standards that may never be matched – will be the most daunting assignment in the game.
