Pep Guardiola said Manchester City need new energy as he confirmed he will leave the club at the end of this season, ending a 10-year reign that transformed the side into English football's dominant force. His final game in charge will be against Aston Villa on Sunday at Etihad Stadium.
The 55-year-old leaves with 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League victory, and he will go out having also delivered the FA Cup and League Cup in his final campaign. Manchester City said on Friday that its newly developed north stand will be named after Guardiola, with a statue to be built on the approach to the stand, which will be fully open for the first time against Villa.
Guardiola said he shared the decision with his squad on Friday morning and told them his speech was “a disaster.” He said he was “more nervous than ever,” and added that he did not believe he would have the energy required in future to fight for the title every three days and stand in front of the players. “Ten years is a lot of time and I think the club needs a new manager, new energy, these incredible players we have right now and start to write another chapter,” he said.
His departure comes three days after Manchester City were beaten to the 2025-26 Premier League title by Arsenal, who were crowned champions for the first time since 2004 after a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday. Guardiola's exit had already been the subject of reporting before the club confirmed it, with signs growing that City were preparing for the change long before his contract was due to run out.
The contrast is striking. Guardiola leaves as the most successful manager in City history, yet he does so at a moment when the club has already moved to plan for life after him. Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is the frontrunner to replace him, and City now faces the same test that eventually confronts every dynasty: how to keep winning after the architect walks away. Guardiola put it simply himself — after 10 years, “it is good to shake, to move, different faces.”
