As Pep Guardiola prepares to take charge of his final game at Manchester City on Sunday, it is time to reflect on his complex legacy. Whether he actually leaves remains uncertain, as no official announcement has been made and Guardiola himself avoided a definitive answer after the draw at Bournemouth, telling Sky Sports: 'I can say I have one more year of my contract. It’s the conversation we’ve had for many, many years, always from my experience when you announce whatever you announce during the competition it’s a bad, bad result.' He added: 'Like you understand the first question I have to talk is my chairman. Because we both decide when we finish the season we will see and talk, it’s as simple as that and after we will take the decision.'
How Guardiola’s time at Manchester City will be remembered
Is he the best to ever do it? Six Premier League titles, five League Cups, three FA Cups and a Champions League trophy in ten years is an impressive haul. No other manager has changed the way football is played across divisions as much as Guardiola; we now see League Two sides playing out from the back and baiting opposition presses. There is the famous treble in 2023, those incredible battles with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, Kevin de Bruyne’s brilliance, Ederson’s insane passing, Rodri running the midfield, and four league titles in a row. Some of the football was incredible to watch and should not be taken for granted.
However, it was not all plain sailing. Who remembers Manchester City nil, Ronald Koeman’s Everton four in that poor first season, the awful team selections in big Champions League games, or how awkward Joe Hart looked when trying to emulate Manuel Neuer with the ball at his feet? If City lose to Aston Villa this weekend, Guardiola will end his final season with the exact same record as in his first – not exactly a good sign even if they ran Arsenal close this year.
Lasting criticisms
You cannot ignore the 115 charges still hanging over City’s head, relating to alleged breaches of financial rules from 2009 to 2018. There is no suggestion Guardiola was aware of any alleged wrongdoing, but he took over in 2016 and his trophy-laden era has been built on the foundations set during those years.
What will Guardiola do next?
A break might be nice – the last one he took was a sabbatical in New York after leaving Barcelona in 2013. Guardiola does not seem like the type to retire and tend to his garden; he might try, but soon he would be off to weekend farmer’s markets and attempting the Guinness World Record for the largest squash ever grown. Even if his next job is as a national team manager, as reports suggest, he will be his intense self wherever he ends up. As for Manchester City, Enzo Maresca may look like Guardiola, but only time will tell if he can deliver like him too.
