English media are buzzing: Pep is leaving City

Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City F.C. at the end of the season, bringing to a close one of the most successful eras in the history of the Premier League. According to The Athletic, Enzo Maresca is expected to become the new manager of the Citizens. The news of Guardiola’s departure was confirmed by BBC and Daily Mail later this evening. The Catalan coach and his team will visit AFC Bournemouth tomorrow, while on Sunday he is set to lead City for the final time at Etihad Stadium against Aston Villa F.C.. David Ornstein and Sam Lee report that multiple sources close to the club claim Guardiola is preparing to leave after a season in which City won the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. By defeating Chelsea F.C., Guardiola secured his 20th major trophy during his decade-long stay at the Etihad.

Guardiola’s contract with City had been due to run until June 2027 after he extended it in November 2024, but it will now end a year early. The Athletic also notes that the timing of Guardiola’s potential departure may have another dimension, as it comes while the club is still awaiting the outcome — and possible punishments — related to more than 115 charges concerning alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations. City deny all accusations. Meanwhile, longtime sporting director Txiki Begiristain, one of Guardiola’s closest collaborators, left the club at the end of last season. He was replaced by Hugo Viana from Sporting CP. Guardiola, who previously spent four years managing FC Barcelona and three years at FC Bayern Munich before taking charge of Manchester City in the summer of 2016, has frequently spoken about his future in recent months.

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When asked about the reports the day after The Athletic published its story in December, Guardiola refused to explicitly confirm whether he would remain at City beyond this June, despite his contract officially running until June 2027.

“I still enjoy this. Still, we are much better than last season, but we are not the team we should be. That takes time. I hope we will manage to become that team by next season and by the end of this one.”

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Maresca has previously worked at Manchester City, coaching the club’s Under-21 side during the 2020/21 season before returning in the summer of 2022 as part of Guardiola’s coaching staff. The Italian joined Chelsea F.C. in the summer of 2024 after leading Leicester City F.C. back to the top flight from the EFL Championship. During his debut season at Chelsea, he guided the club to Champions League qualification while also winning the UEFA Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. He left the West London club on January 1 despite having a contract until 2029. During his time at the Etihad, Guardiola won 20 trophies: six Premier League titles, one Champions League crown, three FA Cups, five League Cups, three Community Shields, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup.