‘Nothing is eternal’: Pep Guardiola confirms he is leaving Manchester City after 10 years

Enzo Maresca has agreed deal in principle to take over

Pep Guardiola. Pic: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire.

Manchester City have confirmed Pep Guardiola is leaving at the end of the season. The manager is to step away after Sunday’s match at home to Aston Villa with one year on his contract, and City have lined up Enzo Maresca to replace him.

“What a time we have had together,” Guardiola said. “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.”

City said the Etihad Stadium’s expanded North Stand would be named the Pep Guardiola Stand and that a statue of him would be commissioned to feature on the approach. They also announced Guardiola would take a role as a global ambassador for City Football Group, which would involve “giving technical advice to the clubs in the group” and “working on specific projects and collaborations”.

Guardiola told his squad on Monday night that he was leaving. He has been City’s manager for 10 years, winning 17 major trophies, including this season’s Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Hopes of a domestic treble ended on Tuesday when City’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth made Arsenal the Premier League champions.

"What made me happy is that I got messages from Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday, also from Manuel [Akanji] and Kevin [De Bruyne].

"I am leaving with incredible peace that I gave everything to this club. Many, many people have been involved in that.

"Sir Alex Ferguson means a lot to me. He’s the greatest in this country. For many reasons. I miss Johan Cruyff but I’m happy that Sir Alex was there to watch us. He is our neighbour.

"I never thought I would stay 10 years. Impossible. I signed for three years initially. It helped that Ferran [Soriano] was here, that Txiki [Begiristain] was here. The manager was always protected.

"I think I will take a while [to rest]. But I have to prove that myself. The people have been demanding trebles. I need to breathe a little bit."

Of the new stand that will bear the family name, Guardiola added: "I am speechless. I like to feel that my vibe or my energy will be there forever. It’s the biggest honour I can get. Thank you so much to the club. On Sunday, my father will come – he’s 94 years old – and our name will be in this incredible place."

Maresca has agreed in principle a three-year deal to succeed Guardiola, whose assistant he was at City in 2022-23. Maresca has been out of work since leaving Chelsea on New Year’s Day. Chelsea are in line for sizable compensation for the Italian, who departed with three and a half years on his deal, plus the club option of an extra year.

Guardiola said with a nod to Manchester’s history: “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.” 

The 55-year-old made further reference to the city’s music by mentioning Noel Gallagher of Oasis. “When I arrived, my first interview was with Noel Gallagher,” he said. “I walked out thinking: ‘OK … Noel is here? This will be fun.’” 

City’s chair, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, said: “There have been points along the way when he could have stopped, and it would have been enough. Somehow, Pep always found new energy and pushed on, finding different and innovative ways to continue winning and delivering success.”

Guardian