Pep Guardiola is expected to leave Manchester City at the end of the season, with his final game on Sunday against Aston Villa at the Etihad. The 55-year-old has been with Manchester City since 2016, having managed Barcelona and Bayern Munich previously.
A Decade of Dominance
It has been 10 years of great success, with the Spaniard winning six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups and the Champions League in 2023. That European success completed a treble in the 2022/23 season, which was the pinnacle of Guardiola’s time in charge.
That time is very nearly at an end now, though, with the Daily Mail reporting that the Manchester City manager has just two games left at the helm. City go to Bournemouth on Tuesday night before hosting Aston Villa on Sunday, which will be his last game as boss.
Official Announcement Imminent
Manchester City have reportedly already started informing their sponsor partners and an official announcement is imminent. Having won the FA Cup and League Cup this season, Manchester City will have an open-top bus parade on Monday, which will celebrate Guardiola’s legacy as much as those two pieces of silverware.
The iconic manager still has one year on his contract with Manchester City and the Daily Mail report states that he could stay on in some capacity. Possible candidates to take on the huge job of replacing Guardiola are his former coach at the Etihad Enzo Maresca, who managed Chelsea until earlier this season. Former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, who is currently in charge of Bayern Munich, is also a possibility.
Guardiola’s Comments on His Future
Ahead of Manchester City beating Chelsea 1-0 to win the FA Cup final on Saturday, Guardiola was asked about his future and suggested he would be seeing out his contract. ‘Yeah, I’m here, I have a contract,’ he told the BBC. Pushed on whether he would be in charge next season, he said: ‘Oh my God! The people have asked me that question for a long, long time. I know the answer, you should know the answer. I’m here at the end of the season in the Premier League. So that’s good.’
Legacy and Succession
Guardiola is the second most successful Premier League manager ever, with his six titles only behind Alex Ferguson’s 13. No other manager has won more than Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho’s haul of three. Whoever takes charge next at Manchester City will represent the first managerial change at the club since Guardiola replaced Manuel Pellegrini a decade ago.
After winning the FA Cup last weekend, Guardiola said his remarkable achievement of taking City to Wembley 24 times is what he is proudest of. ‘I think the biggest title is to come here 24 times,’ he said. ‘We can win the Premier League and Champions League, but to play 24 times here is because we were stubborn. That is the biggest complement we can get as a club. We have done it and we have to continue to try. That is the biggest success. I cannot speak higher about the organisation of the club.’
