Manchester: Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday that he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, bringing to a close a 10-year tenure that transformed the club into one of football’s most dominant forces. Sunday’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa will be his 593rd and final game in charge.
Guardiola has activated a break clause in the contract he signed last year, which was due to run until June 2027. He will move into a global ambassador role within the City Football Group and continue offering technical advice across the organisation’s clubs.
Speaking after the announcement, Guardiola said the decision was personal. “Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time. Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City,” he said.
The 55-year-old joined City in 2016 and leaves as the most successful manager in the club’s history. During his decade at the Etihad Stadium, City won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, the UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup — 20 major trophies in total. The club’s long wait for European success ended under Guardiola when City lifted the Champions League trophy in Istanbul in 2023, completing a historic treble.
In his farewell message, Guardiola reflected on the city of Manchester itself. “This is a city built from work. From graft. You see it in the colour of the bricks. From people who clocked in early, stayed late. The factories. The Pankhursts. The unions. The music. Simply the Industrial Revolution and how this changed the world. And I think I grew to understand that, and my teams did too. We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way. Our way.”
He also recalled his first impression of the city. “When I arrived, my first interview was with Noel Gallagher. I walked out thinking, ‘Okay Noel is here? This will be fun.’ And what a time we have had together.”
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Guardiola acknowledged supporters who had followed the team through difficult moments as well as triumphs. “Trips to Bournemouth, when we lost the Premier League, and you were there. Trips to Istanbul, when you were there, too.”
Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is expected to be among the leading contenders to succeed Guardiola at the Etihad.