Pep Guardiola will step down as Manchester City’s manager when the 2025-26 season ends, as a near decade of dominance will come to an end.
After news broke on Monday that Guardiola was set to step down, the official announcement arrived on Friday ahead of his final game in charge of City.
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They host Aston Villa on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium as they will finish in second place in the Premier League table, having just come up short in their pursuit of Arsenal in the title race.
After winning the League Cup and FA Cup trophies this season, Guardiola took his incredible tally of trophies to 20 in 10 seasons in charge of City. That included the famous treble winning season, as they finally won the Champions League in 2023.
In the statement released by City, it was confirmed that Guardiola will now take up an ambassador role for the City Football Group.
And Guardiola left a powerful statement on his memories at City. (JPW)
Pep Guardiola statement
“When I arrived, my first interview was with Noel Gallagher. I walked out thinking, ‘Okay… Noel is here? This will be fun.’
“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. 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. From graft. You see it in the colour of the bricks. From people
who clocked in early, stayed late. The factories. The Pankhursts. The unions. The music. Simply the Industrial Revolution and how this changed the world. And I think I grew to understand that, and my teams did too.
“We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way. Our way.
“Hard work comes in many forms. Trips to Bournemouth, when we lost the Premier League, and you were there. Trips to Istanbul, when you were there, too.
“Remember, the Manchester Arena attack, when this city showed the world what strength actually looks like? Not anger. Not fear. Just love. Community. Togetherness. A city united.
“Remember, losing my mum during COVID and feeling this club carry me through it. The fans, the staff, the people of Manchester, you gave me strength when I needed it most. Cris, my kids, my whole family, you were there as always. Khaldoon, you were there too.
“Players don’t forget – every single instant, moment, me, my staff, this club, everything. What we have done, we have done it for all of you. And you have been just exceptional. You don’t know it yet, but you are leaving a legacy.
“So as my time comes to an end, be happy. Oasis are back again. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for trusting me. Thank you for pushing me. Thank you for loving me. Tony Walsh said in his unforgettable poem this is the place. I’m sorry, Tony: this is my place. Noel…I was right. It has been so f****** fun. Love you all.”
Pep Guardiola understood the assignment… and aced it
Only six Premier League managers oversaw more games than Guardiola’s done at City, and only Arsene Wenger stands above him as bosses to serve the entirety of their tenures in the PL era.
He leaves the PL with the highest points-per-game average on any manager in the Premier League era by a mile, his 2.34 figure .18 higher than Ferguson and .22 higher than Klopp. City’s spending demands success and Guardiola supplied it on a yearly basis after a trophy-free first season.
But wins and trophies aside, Guardiola fully engrossed himself in English football and showed a faith to the city that few could’ve expected when he took the gig. It’s evidence in his statement above.
Guardiola moved to a city and became part of it. The Catalan created perhaps the best team in history at Barcelona and then made a dynasty in Manchester. He leaves with another European Cup having checked every possible box and remains a football revolutionary in the debate for the greatest manager of all-time. (NM)
