Pep Guardiola to Leave Manchester City at End of This Season, End of the Golden Era at the Etihad
Pep Guardiola is reportedly poised to end his spell at Manchester City at the end of this season, with multiple outlets including The Athletic and Daily Mail claiming the final Premier League game of the campaign against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium will serve as his farewell. The decision would mark the end of a decade of Guardiola’s influence at City since his arrival in 2016. Although he remains under contract for another year, rumours of his departure have intensified as he has helped revive City this season after they entered the previous campaign without silverware.
Over ten years at The Citizens, Guardiola has been more than a trophy-winning coach: he transformed the look of English football with a possession-based style that has set a new standard in the Premier League.
To date he has delivered 20 major honours for the Etihad club. A FA Cup final defeat of Chelsea last weekend underlined Guardiola’s ability to keep City’s mindset of champions, and a parade is planned, predicted to be an emotional moment for Guardiola and City supporters alike.
Guardiola’s influence has extended to his fiercest rivals too. Several top managers are former assistants or players who learned at his elbow, with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal a former assistant; Chelsea’s new boss Xabi Alonso once served under him at Bayern Munich; and Liverpool’s Arne Slot has openly said he drew inspiration from Guardiola’s Barcelona-era philosophy.
Amid the glitter of achievements, Guardiola’s era is shadowed by legal issues surrounding the club. Manchester City remain awaiting a ruling on more than 100 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules dating back to February 2023. Although the independent commission concluded in December last year, the final outcome has not yet been announced.
Regarding a successor, Enzo Maresca—former Chelsea manager and a former Guardiola assistant at City—has emerged as a strong candidate to carry City forward. As of this report, Manchester City have not issued an official comment on the departure rumours. (AFP/I-1)
The quarter-final draw for the 2024/25 FA Cup has already been conducted on Monday (3 March) early hours local time, after the Manchester United vs Fulham tie. Guardiola knows that winning the FA Cup final would be hollow if City do not also defend their Premier League crown.
Manchester City won the FA Cup in 2026 after beating Chelsea 1-0, but Guardiola reportedly barred the players from partying, as City remain in the hunt for the Premier League title.
Bernardo Silva has reiterated that City are still pursuing the Premier League title this season. He is optimistic City can win the league following their 1-0 FA Cup Final victory over Chelsea, marking Guardiola’s 20th trophy with the club.
Antoine Semenyo has been hailed as the hero for City in the 1-0 FA Cup Final win over Chelsea, giving Guardiola his 20th trophy with The Citizens.