Manchester City announced that Josep Guardiola will leave the club after the final game of the season against Aston Villa at the Etihad on Sunday.
Josep Guardiola leaves Manchester City (Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Josep Guardiola’s departure from Manchester City has been confirmed, with the Spaniard announcing his departure in an emotional video. The expected news brings to an end one of the most successful managerial eras in English football.
It was revealed for the first time on Monday night that Guardiola will end his illustrious 10-year spell at the Etihad Stadium after Sunday’s final game of the season against Aston Villa. The Catalan still has one year left on his contract and is expected to be replaced by Enzo Maresca.
City said in a statement: “Josep Guardiola will step down as manager of Manchester City this summer. The Catalan manager, who joined City in July 2016, has had a transformative impact during his ten years in charge, winning 20 major trophies and leaving as the most successful manager in our history.”
“Despite stepping down as Manchester City manager, Pep will continue his relationship with City Football Group by taking on the role of global ambassador. The role will see him provide technical advice to clubs within the group and work on specific projects and collaborations.”
An emotional Guardiola said in a message to City supporters: “My first interview when I arrived was with Noel Gallagher. I walked out thinking, ‘Okay… Noel here? This is going to be fun.'”
read more: Inside Ivan Toney’s stunning career comeback as former Brentford player returns to Englandread more: Phil Foden points finger at himself with brutal message after England World Cup canceled
“And what a time we’ve had together. Don’t ask me why I’m leaving. There’s no reason, but deep down I know it’s my time. There’s no such thing as forever. If it were forever, I’d be here. Forever is the feelings, the people, the memories and the love I have for Manchester City.”
“This is a city built by labor. It was built by grafting. You can see it in the color of the bricks. It was built by people who went to work early and stayed late. Factories, Pankhurst, trade unions, music. It’s just the industrial revolution and how it changed the world. And I think I’ve come to understand that, and so have my team.”
“We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our way. Our way. Hard work comes in many forms. The trip to Bournemouth when we lost in the Premier League, and the trip to Istanbul when you were there, you were there too.”
“Remember the Manchester Arena attack? This city showed the world what strength really looks like. Not anger. Not fear. Just love. Community. Unity. A city coming together.”
“Remember, after losing my mother during the coronavirus pandemic, I felt that this club supported me. The fans, the staff, the people of Manchester, you gave me strength when I needed it most. Chris, the children, the whole family, you were there as always. Khaldoon, you were there too.”
“The players haven’t forgotten. Every moment, every moment, myself, the staff, this club, everything. What we’ve done is for all of you. And you’ve been just extraordinary. You don’t know it yet, but you’re leaving a legacy.”
“So my time is coming to an end, but be happy, Oasis will be back again.
Pep Guardiola and Oasis star Noel Gallagher (Image: PUMA/BEEM)
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for believing in me. Thank you for pushing me. Thank you for loving me. Tony Walsh said in his unforgettable poem that this is the place. Sorry, Tony: this is the place for me. Noel… I was right. It was so much fun. I love you all.”
Since taking over in the summer of 2016, Guardiola has led the Sky Blues to unprecedented success over the past 10 years. Before this season, they had won six Premier League titles, one Champions League and two FA Cups.
He won the Carabao Cup for the fifth time earlier this season, beating Arsenal 2-0 in the final. But his crowning glory came in 2022/23, when City won the treble of the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
Josep Guardiola has had a highly successful decade as Manchester City manager (Image: (OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images))
Despite finishing third behind champions Liverpool and Arsenal last season and second behind the Gunners this season, Guardiola’s spell at City was by far the longest of his managerial career. He coached Barcelona for four years until retiring in 2012.
After a year out, he joined Bayern Munich in 2013, before moving to City three years later. He leaves the Etihad having won an incredible 20 trophies during his time at City. Their latest trophy came last Saturday, when the team defeated Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: “In the past 10 years, honesty and trust have formed the basis for us to overcome any situation together with Pep. We always know that together we can find the right answer.”
“The right answer today is for Pep to finish his journey as Manchester City manager. There were times when he could have stopped along the way and that would have been enough.”
Josep Guardiola won the FA Cup in his final season at the club (Image: Getty)
“Somehow Pep always found new energy and found different and innovative ways to move forward and continue to win and continue to bring success.
“The result is a decade of memories and successes for which the club will be forever grateful, and more than that, an irrevocable evolution.
“Thanks to the unique approach he brings to coaching, he has always been able to challenge the accepted truths of our game. That is why he has not only made Manchester City better over the last 10 years, he has made football better.”
Ferran Soriano, CEO of the city, said: “We had the privilege of working with Pep Guardiola for 10 years. We not only witnessed his greatness and dedication, but also enjoyed his companionship, friendship and humanity.”
“What an honor this is for so many of us at Manchester City! Pep’s legacy is extraordinary and his true impact will be better appreciated by future Manchester City historians.”
“He has made a decisive contribution to our journey towards world excellence and his high standards will serve as a reference for our players and managers in the future. If there is anything more difficult than winning, it is to win again.”
“It takes incredible tenacity, resilience and the humility to start over and over again with the same energy year after year. This is what Pep did.
“Ten years ago, no one would have believed that we would play such high quality and entertaining football and win 20 trophies in 10 years. It was unthinkable… and we have done it.”
“As we celebrate the past, we are very pleased to know that Pep will remain with the group and be able to use his knowledge and experience to help managers and players at a number of other clubs.
“We will be forever grateful to Pep and cherish the many unforgettable memories. He is a City Legend… forever.”
Speaking earlier this week, John Stones revealed that Guardiola has changed the way he understands football at City. Stones and Guardiola both joined in the summer of 2016 and the centre-back, who will also leave the club at the end of the season, has developed under the Catalan manager.
Pep Guardiola and John Stones will leave City this summer (Image: Getty Images)
“If I look back at when I first arrived, I don’t think I was a typical centre-half. Maybe I was built for the way football is played now, but 10 years ago Pep saw that and everyone was rooting for me and he felt it was the right way to play football.”
“I think the word genius was coined, but he sees the game in a completely different way. That was one of the things when I came in. I thought I knew football, but I quickly realized I didn’t.”
Meanwhile, another player leaving City, Bernardo Silva, revealed that Guardiola was his “idol” before arriving in Manchester. “Pep was always an inspiration for me, long before I joined Man City, because when he was training with Barcelona, it was a team with a weak team: Xavi,[Andres]Iniesta,[Lionel]Messi and Pedro.
“I was in Benfica’s academy and I didn’t play because they didn’t think I was big enough and I wasn’t strong enough. And I looked at that team and thought, ‘They’re not big, they’re not strong either. If they can do it, maybe someday I can too.’
Bernardo Silva also waves goodbye to Etihad Airways (Image: PA)
“So Pep’s team was always an inspiration for me and then to join the club and be with him for nine years and be part of this success is great.”
Guardiola and his players are expected to take part in Monday’s parade. They will be joined by the women’s side who won the Women’s Super League and the club’s Under-18s who won the FA Youth Cup earlier this month.
Following the parade, an event will be held at the Co-op Live Arena. And while the club’s goalkeeping coach Xavi Mansisidor and fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura have already confirmed they will be leaving City this summer, it remains to be seen whether Pep Lijnders and Kolo Toure will remain at the club.
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive daily Mirror Football content. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
