Pep Guardiola has announced his departure from Manchester City after a decade at the helm. Leading the team through a golden era, he cited "exhaustion" as the reason for his decision to part ways.
On May 23, Manchester City confirmed that Guardiola's final match will be against Aston Villa on May 25, marking the end of the 2025-2026 season. The game will take place at the Etihad Stadium. This announcement comes as a surprise, especially since Guardiola had signed a contract extension with the club last November, committing to the 2026-2027 season. However, it is reported that he has expressed a need for a long break.
Guardiola joined Manchester City in 2016, succeeding Manuel Pellegrini, and has since rewritten the club's history. He achieved a record 100 points in the Premier League during the 2017-2018 season and completed a historic treble in the 2022-2023 season by winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. Notably, he led the team to four consecutive league titles in the 2023-2024 season, a first in English top-flight history. During his tenure, Guardiola secured six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, and one UEFA Champions League title, totaling 17 major trophies. This season, however, the team finished as runners-up to Arsenal in the league.
To honor his achievements, Manchester City plans to name a stand after Guardiola and erect a statue in his likeness. Enzo Maresca, a former Chelsea manager and past City coach, is considered a leading candidate to succeed him.
Guardiola will take a break from coaching before assuming the role of global ambassador for City Football Group (CFG), where he will assist with the operations and technical advice of its affiliated clubs.
According to the BBC, Guardiola stated at a press conference, "Ten years is a very long time," and emphasized that the team needs a new manager and fresh energy. He added, "I felt I could no longer maintain the drive to stand in front of the players and compete for victory in every match."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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