Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer, bringing to a close a decade in charge that delivered an extraordinary haul of trophies and reshaped English football.
In an emotional statement Guardiola said: “And what a time we have had together. Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time.” He confirmed he will step down after City’s final-day match against Aston Villa, despite having a year remaining on his contract.
This season was Guardiola’s tenth and final campaign at the club. He guided City to a cup double but missed out on the Premier League title after a draw at Bournemouth. The club announced plans to rename the North Stand at the Etihad Stadium “The Pep Guardiola Stand” and has commissioned a statue to honour his “incredible contribution during his 10 historic years.” Guardiola told reporters he intends to take a break from coaching: “Rest! No plans for [coaching] for a while. Otherwise I would be here. I need to step back. I will not [coach] for a while.”
Guardiola’s impact at Manchester City is reflected in the numbers: 20 trophies during his tenure, a win ratio of about 70.3% with 416 wins from 592 matches, 1,422 goals scored and 520 conceded. Among the honours won under his management are multiple Premier League titles, a Champions League, domestic cups and international silverware.
Man City honours under Guardiola (selected):
– Premier League: 2017/18, 2018/19, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24
– UEFA Champions League: 2022/23
– UEFA Super Cup: 2023
– FA Cup: 2018/19, 2022/23, 2025/26
– EFL Cup: 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2025/26
– FIFA Club World Cup: 2023
– Community Shield: 2018, 2019, 2024
After leaving the dugout, Guardiola will continue his relationship with the City Football Group as a global ambassador, providing technical advice and working on specific projects and collaborations across the group’s clubs.
Guardiola was questioned on why now is the right time to go. He said the decision grew over time: “It’s the time. It’s not like going to sleep one day and the day after to say ‘now is the time’. It’s the process, I felt it for a while.” He added that the club needs “a new manager, new energy” and acknowledged his own changing energy levels: “Absolutely. I feel I will not have the energy every day, with expectations to fight for the title… It’s been 10 years. It’s not ambition. After 10 years, ‘ok Pep’. It’s good to shake, to move, new faces. It’s the perfect moment, the perfect time.”
In a filmed message reflecting on his decade in Manchester, Guardiola paid tribute to the city, the fans and the club: “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. This is a city built from work… We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way.” He recalled personal moments—support after the Manchester Arena attack and when he lost his mother during COVID—and thanked supporters, staff and players: “Thank you for pushing me. Thank you for loving me… It has been so f****** fun. Love you all.”
The announcement comes while Manchester City await the outcome of a Premier League investigation into 115 alleged breaches of financial rules covering the period 2009–2018; the club denies all charges.
Reaction from across the game was immediate. England manager Thomas Tuchel praised Guardiola as “one of a kind,” highlighting his revolutionary influence in Spain, Germany and England and calling his level of input “the highest, highest level.” Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said Guardiola’s achievements at City could make him the greatest manager in the Premier League era, alongside Sir Alex Ferguson.
Analysis from Sky Sports and club commentators noted the scale of the challenge facing Guardiola’s successor. Laura Hunter wrote that replacing him is a “toughest act in football to follow” but also an enticing opportunity: the squad Guardiola leaves remains strong and relatively young, meaning the new manager inherits a talented platform. Ben Ransom described the news as “seismic,” saying Guardiola has become synonymous with the Premier League and that his decade at City has produced some of the best games and title races the league has seen.
Guardiola departs having changed how many teams across all levels play the game—playing out from the back, inverted full-backs, and intense pressing are now widely adopted. Whether on the touchline or through broader influence, his legacy is widely seen as transformative.
As City begin the search for a new head coach, the immediate questions are practical—who can carry on the philosophy while bringing fresh energy—and existential: how will the club evolve after one of the most successful managerial eras in modern football? For now, Guardiola will step away from daily management, leave a lasting mark in Manchester, and continue with an advisory role across the City Football Group while football assesses the end of a defining chapter.