Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is reportedly leaving the club after a decade filled with trophies, once the last game of the season has been played.
As it stands, he will leave his job behind the eternal runners-up Arsenal. – Arsenal are leading and will probably lead also after tonight’s game at home at the Emirates against Burnley. (At the time of writing, Arsenal are leading 1 – 0 after a goal by Kai Havertz)
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Pep Guardiola is reportedly leaving Manchester City at the end of this week. He will be in charge of City’s last two Premier League fixtures – against Bournemouth and Aston Villa – before leaving the Etihad.
Guardiola led City to FA Cup victory on Saturday, when they beat Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley. It could be the Catalan’s last trophy as City boss, after a decade marked by trophy after trophy.
City still have a theoretical chance of winning the league, but must win their two remaining games and hope that Arsenal drop points against either Burnley or Crystal Palace.
An era is coming to an end
Guardiola has led City to six Premier League titles, including four in a row – something that has never been done before. He has also given City their first – and so far only – Champions League triumph, as well as three FA Cups, five League Cups and three Community Shields.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager has long been predicted to leave Manchester after this season. According to the Daily Mail, City have now started informing key stakeholders, ahead of an official announcement on Sunday.
Guardiola’s contribution to City will then be celebrated with an open bus parade through Manchester on Monday, together with the players, the women’s team and the academy team.
Who will take over?
Former Leicester and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is the leading candidate to replace Guardiola. He was one of Guardiola’s assistants at City in the 2022/23 season, before leaving to take over as manager of Leicester.
Guardiola joined City in 2016, after four years as Barcelona boss and three years as Bayern Munich boss.
He won the league in his second and third seasons at the Etihad, before being beaten by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. This was followed by four straight league titles – a historic streak – before Arne Slot returned the trophy to Anfield last season.
City lost the Champions League final to Chelsea in 2021, but Guardiola got his revenge two years later when his team beat Inter Milan to win the European Cup for the first time.
It was Guardiola’s first Champions League title as manager since he won the 2010/11 edition as Barcelona boss.
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