Michael Jordan led the star names paying tribute to Pep Guardiola as Manchester City staged a farewell party for their departing manager at Co-Op Live on Monday. The night brought a final public send-off for Guardiola after he announced last week that he would step down after a decade in charge.
The scale of the celebration matched the occasion. Guardiola leaves after 10 years, 20 trophies and a run that turned City into one of European football’s dominant clubs, and 19,000 supporters filled the arena to mark the end of an era. Jordan, whose six NBA championships made him the biggest surprise of the night, told Guardiola he wanted to congratulate him on an unbelievable career and wished him well in retirement, joking that he should keep his drives straight on the golf course.
The event also underlined how wide Guardiola’s influence reached beyond the pitch. Former captain Vincent Kompany appeared as a surprise guest, while Khadija Shaw used the celebration to announce she has signed a new four-year contract to stay at City. Earlier on Monday, thousands of fans lined the streets of Manchester as the club’s men’s, women’s and academy teams were driven to Etihad Stadium before all three trophy-winning sides took to the stage at the after-party.
That upbeat tone sat in contrast to the way Guardiola’s final game ended. His last match in charge was Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat by Aston Villa, a result that left him in tears before the club and its supporters gathered again for the farewell. Even that painful finish did little to dim the sense that City were closing the book on one of the most successful managerial spells in their history.
Guardiola’s family helped bring the story full circle, with his three children carrying out all 20 trophies won during his tenure, alongside former captain Fernandinho, ex-sporting director Txiki Begiristain and goalkeeper Ederson. What comes next for Guardiola is still not clear, but Monday’s send-off showed that after a decade of trophies, rivals and reinvention, he leaves Manchester City with the admiration of players, staff and fans who packed the arena to say goodbye.
