MANCHESTER, U.K. – Multiple football industry reports have indicated that Pep Guardiola is preparing to close out a trophy-filled, decade-long tenure as manager of Manchester City this coming weekend, bringing an end to one of the most transformative coaching reigns in modern English football. Since taking the helm at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, the 55-year-old Spaniard has lifted an extraordinary 20 major titles with the club, including six Premier League crowns and the club’s historic first-ever Champions League victory in 2023. With two matches remaining on City’s 2024-25 Premier League schedule, Guardiola could add one final trophy to his collection this weekend: if the Sky Blues secure wins over Bournemouth and Aston Villa, and leaders Arsenal drop points against Crystal Palace on final matchday, Guardiola will claim a seventh league title in nine seasons at the club.
Multiple UK outlets, including The Daily Mail and The Athletic, have confirmed that Guardiola plans to step down from his post following City’s final home fixture against Aston Villa. Manchester City has so far declined to issue any official statement confirming or denying the speculation, but observers have pointed to a pre-scheduled victory parade through central Manchester this upcoming Monday, held to celebrate the club’s 2024-25 FA Cup and League Cup double, that could double as a public farewell for the departing manager.
If Guardiola does exit, early insider reports name Enzo Maresca, the former Chelsea head coach who once served as a member of Guardiola’s backroom staff at City, as the leading candidate to take over the role for the 2025-26 season. Though Guardiola still has 12 months remaining on his current contract with City, persistent rumours of his departure at the end of this campaign have circulated across football circles for months. The 2023-24 season saw City end a seven-year trophyless drought in the campaign, prompting many to question whether Guardiola would see out the full length of his deal, but the side has bounced back emphatically this term, securing a domestic cup double with an FA Cup final win over Chelsea earlier this month and remaining in contention for the league title heading into the final round.
When Guardiola first arrived in Manchester, he was already one of the most decorated and respected coaches in European football. His four-year spell at boyhood club Barcelona between 2008 and 2012 reinvented the tiki-taka style of play and earned global acclaim, delivering two Champions League titles and three La Liga crowns. He followed that success with three consecutive Bundesliga titles during a three-year stint at Bayern Munich, leading many to expect a similarly short tenure when he made the move to the Premier League. Nearly a decade later, Guardiola’s influence has reshaped English football at every level of the game.
Backed by the substantial investment of Abu Dhabi’s ownership group, Manchester City has stepped out of the long shadow of cross-city rival Manchester United to establish itself as the undisputed dominant force in English domestic football. Guardiola’s signature possession-based, attacking passing style has been replicated from grassroots youth leagues up to top-flight elite sides, and even City’s closest competitors have turned to Guardiola’s coaching disciples to close the competitive gap. Arsenal, currently leading the Premier League table heading into the final match, is managed by Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s former long-time assistant, who is on the cusp of delivering the Gunners their first league title in 22 years. Liverpool’s current manager Arne Slot has openly spoken about how his entire coaching philosophy was shaped by studying Guardiola’s revolutionary Barcelona side, while new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso intentionally moved to Bayern Munich for the final years of his playing career specifically to gain first-hand experience working under Guardiola.
The looming news of Guardiola’s exit comes as a major cloud still hangs over the club: the findings of an ongoing investigation into more than 100 alleged financial regulatory breaches by Manchester City have yet to be publicly released. The Premier League first brought formal charges against the club in February 2023, and an independent commission hearing concluded in December 2024. The unresolved case has continued to hang over City’s on-pitch successes throughout the 2024-25 campaign, with no timeline for a public announcement of penalties or clearing set as of yet.