On the evening of 18 May, it was suddenly reported from various sources such as the BBC and Sky Sports that Pep Guardiola intends to leave his role as Manchester City’s manager at the end of the current season.
This would bring an end to an exceptional 10-year stint at the club marked with six Premier League titles, a Champions League, 3 FA Cups, a Centurion season in 17/18, and a Treble in 22/23. It is a foregone conclusion to say Pep will be remembered as a legendary manager in the Premier League, likely in the same tier as Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsène Wegner.
Rumours have been swirling for months as Guardiola has waived questions about his future with Manchester City during press conferences, but recent reports claim that he has informed his players he will be leaving soon. It has been speculated by many that this may be indicative of an inevitable verdict upon Manchester City’s 115 charges of Financial Fair Play. If the club is found guilty, it could bring unprecedented penalties upon them.
As for his replacement, the Italian manager Enzo Maresca is reportedly already in advanced talks with the club for a three-year contract. The former Chelsea manager is a Club World Cup and Conference League winner, as well as a long-time friend of Guardiola. It is unknown what the next steps in Guardiola’s career will be. However, some oddsmakers surprisingly favour him to be managing the England men’s national team next.
As it stands, Guardiola’s last game in charge of the club will take place on 24 May against Aston Villa at the Etihad.
“Pep Guardiola” by Terry Kearney is marked with CC0 1.0.