Manchester City announce Pep Guardiola's departure at season end
What's the story
Manchester City have confirmed that their manager, Pep Guardiola, will be leaving the club at the end of the season. The announcement comes as a surprise as Guardiola still has a year left on his contract. His last match in charge will be against Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Enzo Maresca, former Chelsea manager and Guardiola's assistant at City, is likely to take over.
Departure reflections
Guardiola thanks players, staff and fans
Guardiola, who has been with City for a decade, has won 17 major trophies during his tenure. This includes the Carabao Cup and FA Cup this season. He expressed gratitude to his "exceptional" players and said they were leaving behind a legacy. "You don't know it yet, but you are leaving a legacy," Guardiola said. The manager also spoke about Manchester's industrial history and how it shaped him and his teams.
Title loss
City lost Premier League title to Arsenal
Guardiola's exit comes just days after Manchester City lost the 2025-26 Premier League title to Arsenal. A draw against Bournemouth on Tuesday saw the Gunners crowned champions for the first time in 22 years. Despite this setback, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, City's chairman, praised Guardiola's legacy and his relentless pursuit of success. "Somehow, Pep always found new energy and pushed on," he said.
Twitter Post
Guardiola!
Pep Guardiola to step down after incredible decade as City Manager 🩵
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 22, 2026
đź”— https://t.co/u84AZYY23t pic.twitter.com/QYTPARaprO
2025-26
2 trophies for Guardiola in 2025-26 season with City
Guardiola added a 20th trophy to his collection at City, who overcame Chelsea to win the 2025-26 FA Cup on May 16. Back in March, Guardiola helped his side win the prestigious Carabao Cup with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the iconic Wembley Stadium. It was his 5th League Cup honor City's manager—an English football record.
Silverware
A look at Guardiola's Man City trophy haul
Guardiola has won six Premier League honors. These wins have come in 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24. Guardiola has also won 3 FA Cup honors in 2018-19, 2022-23 and 2025-26. He has also been a runner-up in 2023-24, 2024-25. As mentioned, he has won five Carabao Cups. Guardiola also claimed 3 FA Community Shields namely in 2018, 2019, 2024. He won one UEFA Champions League honor in 2022-23. He has been a runner-up in 2020-21. He won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in 2023.