Pep Guardiola has confirmed he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, ending a 10-year spell at the club.Guardiola, who still has a year left on his contract, will take charge in their final match against Aston Villa. Premier League On Sunday“Don’t ask me the reasons why I’m leaving. There are no reasons, but inside I know it’s my time,” Guardiola said.“Nothing is eternal, if it was I’d still be here. The eternal feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for Manchester City.”Manchester City said Guardiola will take on the role of global ambassador after stepping down as manager. Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who previously worked as Guardiola’s assistant at City, is seen as a leading candidate to replace him.Since joining City in 2016, Guardiola has led the club to six Premier League titles and their first UEFA Champions League Title in 2023.He won 17 major trophies with City that season, including the League Cup and the FA Cup. Guardiola has won 35 major trophies as a coach during his spells with FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.The 55-year-old arrived in England after successful spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. During his time at City, he helped the club win four consecutive Premier League titles from 2021 to 2024.In 2023, City completed the treble by winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, becoming only the second English club to achieve the feat since Manchester United in 1999.Guardiola’s rivalry with former Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp became one of the main storylines of the Premier League era.His style of possession-based football and play from the back has influenced football in England at various levels of the game.Several coaches who worked under Guardiola have gone on to manage top clubs. Mikel Arteta began his senior coaching career as Guardiola’s assistant at City. Former City captain Vincent Kompany currently manages Bayern Munich, while Xabi Alonso, now manager of Chelsea, also worked under Guardiola at Bayern.Off the pitch, Guardiola has spoken out publicly on political issues including Catalan independence and the war in Gaza.He was fined in 2018 after wearing a yellow ribbon in support of jailed Catalan independence leaders, breaking the Football Association’s rules on political symbols.Earlier this year, Guardiola wore a keffiyeh to a pro-Palestinian charity event in Barcelona and urged people not to ignore the suffering in Gaza.Manchester City missed out on the Premier League title to Arsenal FC this season, but Guardiola remains one of the most successful managers in English football history.Guardiola has often spoken of the influence of the late Dutch great Johan Cruyff, who coached Barcelona’s “dream team” and was instrumental in shaping Guardiola’s footballing philosophy.“No one is like Johan,” Guardiola said. “That’s a big compliment you say, but there’s no one like him, the charisma, the personality.“He changed the mentality of two clubs – Ajax and Barcelona – as a player and as a manager with a charisma that is impossible to imitate.”
