Manchester City has officially confirmed that manager Pep Guardiola will leave the club at the conclusion of the current season.…....
The 55-year-old Spaniard made the formal announcement on Friday through an emotional video address addressed directly to the club’s supporters, putting an end to a historic, decade-long tenure in English football.
According to BBC Sport, Manchester City had been preparing for the manager’s eventual departure a year prior to the official expiration of his contract.
Guardiola’s final match at the helm will take place this Sunday when Manchester City hosts Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium.
In his video statement, Guardiola reflected deeply on his time in Manchester, stating that while there is no singular reason for his exit, he felt inside that his time at the club had naturally reached its conclusion.
He added that nothing is eternal, but the feelings, the people, the memories, and the love he holds for Manchester City will remain permanently.
As reported by Sky Sports, Guardiola also extended an emotional thank you to the city itself, describing it as a community built on graft, hard work, and industrial heritage, qualities he felt his teams eventually came to embody.
He concluded his farewell message with a humorous nod to Oasis musician Noel Gallagher, stating that his time in Manchester had been immensely fun.
Guardiola leaves behind a monumental sporting legacy, having transformed the competitive and tactical landscape of the Premier League since his arrival in 2016.
Under his leadership, Manchester City secured a remarkable haul of major honors, including six Premier League titles, a historic continental treble in 2023, and most recently, an FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium. In total, the manager guided the club to 20 trophies.
To honor his immense contributions, Manchester City announced that the Etihad Stadium’s North Stand will be officially renamed ‘The Pep Guardiola Stand’.
While he is stepping down from the dugout, The Manchester Evening News reports that Guardiola will maintain a relationship with the organization by transitioning into a global ambassador role for the City Football Group, providing technical advice and working on specialized projects.
The confirmation of his exit follows a week of intense speculation and comes just days after Manchester City missed out on the 2025–26 Premier League title to Arsenal, following a pivotal 1-1 draw against Bournemouth.
Attention has now swiftly turned to who will succeed the iconic manager at the Etihad Stadium.
Former Chelsea and Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca, who previously served as Guardiola’s assistant coach at Manchester City, has emerged as the clear frontrunner to take over the managerial hotseat ahead of the upcoming summer rebuild.
