Manchester City have confirmed that manager Pep Guardiola will leave the club after Sunday’s final match of the season.
Guardiola has led City to 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League victory in 10 top-flight seasons in charge.
The 55-year-old’s final game will be against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium.
In honour of Guardiola’s impact, City’s newly developed north stand will be named after him and will be fully open for the first time for his last game in charge of the club.
BBC Sport reported on Monday that City were preparing for Guardiola’s departure a year before the end of his contract.
“Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving,” said Guardiola. “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.”
Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who worked under Guardiola at City, is the frontrunner to replace the 55-year-old.
The confirmation of Guardiola’s exit comes three days after the club were beaten to the 2025-26 Premier League title by Arsenal.
City’s draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday meant the Gunners were crowned champions for the first time since 2003-04.
Guardiola will leave having guided City to the FA Cup and League Cup in his final season.
A record-breaking tenure
Guardiola signed an initial three-year contract with City in February 2016 to take over from Manuel Pellegrini for the start of the 2016-17 season.
Though he finished that campaign without a trophy for the first time in his career – and also went trophyless last season – his City side have dominated English football during his reign.
City are the only team to reach 100 points in a top-flight season – doing so in 2017-18, when they also set the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League campaign, with 106.
In 2022-23, City became only the second English team in history, after Manchester United in 1998-99, to complete the Treble – winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.
Guardiola’s City later became the first team to win the English league title four seasons in a row with their triumph in 2023-24.
Overall, he won six Premier Leagues, one Champions League, three FA Cups, five League Cups and a Fifa Club World Cup.
The former Spain international signed a two-year contract extension in November 2024, until the end of the 2026-27 season.
City said Guardiola has had “a transformative effect” during his tenure and, despite his exit as manager, would “continue his relationship with the City Football Group, by taking up a role as a global ambassador”.
As part of the renaming of the stand after Guardiola, City have also commissioned a statue which will be placed outside it.
“I said a long time ago that Manchester City should have the very best people at its disposal, both on and off the field,” said City owner Sheikh Mansour.
“For 10 years Pep has been the personification of that ambition.
“He has made an indelible imprint on the DNA of the club. One that is borne more from how he won than from the many trophies he lifted.”
Guardiola joined City after three seasons at Bayern Munich, where he won three consecutive Bundesliga titles and two German Cups.
He started his managerial career at Barcelona in 2008, shaping one of the best club sides ever – winning three straight La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and two Copa del Reys before taking a year’s sabbatical following the 2011-12 season.
Defensive midfielder Guardiola spent most of his playing career at Barcelona, winning six La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and the 1991-92 European Cup.
He captained Spain to gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and subsequently made 47 appearances for the senior national side. He retired from professional football in 2006.
