Pep Guardiola Set to Leave Manchester City

Pep Guardiola is set to leave Manchester City at the end of the season.

The 55-year-old has been manager of Manchester City for 10 years, where he has won 20 trophies and established City as one of the world’s leading clubs, both on and off the pitch.

His notable successes include six Premier League's, including the historic 'Centurion' season in 2017/18 where they won the league with a record breaking 100 points, and guiding City to a Champions League in the 2022/23 season.

However, as first reported by the Daily Mail, and then confirmed by David Ornstein at The Athletic, it looks like the Spaniard will depart the Etihad following their final game of the season against Aston Villa, with former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca the current favourite to replace him.

Despite signing a two year extension last season, the rumours of Guardiola stepping down at the end this season have never seemed to go away. Most recently, after City's FA Cup win against Chelsea on Saturday, May 16, he was pressed in both his pre and post match press conference about his future. Guardiola shut down questions over his future by simply saying 'one more year of contract'.

In an interview with TNT Sports after the game, he was once again asked: “Rumours?," he replied before leaving and telling the pundits to 'have a lovely evening'.

Many outlets, including The Athletic, believe that Italian manager Maresca will be in the dugout at The Etihad next season.

Maresca has previous ties with Manchester City, having managed the Under-21s for the 2020-21 season and then returning as a first-team assistant to Guardiola in 2022.

The 46-year-old joined Chelsea in the summer of 2024 after guiding Leicester City to promotion from the Championship in his only season at the East Midlands club.

He led Chelsea to Champions League qualification and won the Conference League and Club World Cup during his debut season in charge. However, he has been out of work since leaving Chelsea on January 1.

This is a breaking news story. As official confirmations, press conferences, and the fallout from the Etihad develop over the coming days, The Reader will be covering every angle. Subscribe for free to get the latest about the biggest managerial departure since Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United.