By Desire Emmanuel
Pep Guardiola is leaving as Manchester City manager at the end of the season, bringing down the curtain on one of the most remarkable managerial tenures in the history of English football.
The 55-year-old will depart after Sunday’s final Premier League game against Aston Villa, ending a 10-year reign in which he has transformed the club beyond recognition and collected 20 trophies.
Guardiola’s decision comes just 48 hours after he guided City to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley, the 20th trophy of his decade at the club and, as it turns out, his final honour on the touchline at the stadium.
Guardiola arrived at the Etihad in 2016 and immediately began remodeling the squad and the culture of the club. In his second season, City became the first Premier League team to reach 100 points in a single campaign.
He delivered a domestic treble in 2019, then a continental treble in 2023, winning the Champions League title that had eluded the club throughout its history.
He guided City to four consecutive Premier League titles between 2019 and 2023, an achievement no English club had ever managed. His overall trophy haul at City includes six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and four League Cups among the 20 honours.
Those rumoured to be the leading candidates to replace him are Enzo Maresca, who led Chelsea before departing earlier this year, and Vincent Kompany, the former City captain now managing Bayern Munich.
City still have work to do before Guardiola’s final bow. They travel to Bournemouth on Tuesday needing a win to keep the Premier League title race alive until the final day, with Arsenal their rivals in what could be a dramatic conclusion to the season. ‘
A victory in both remaining fixtures could yet deliver a second domestic treble under Guardiola, a fitting final chapter for a manager who has spent a decade redefining what English club football can look like.
