Pep Guardiola confirms Manchester City exit: Don’t ask me why I’m leaving
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday that he will leave the club at the end of the season, ending a historic 10-year spell that transformed Manchester City into one of football’s dominant powers.
City have announced that Guardiola will step down after Sunday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa. The Spaniard, who joined the club in 2016, leaves as the most successful manager in Manchester City’s history after winning 20 major trophies.
Guardiola activated the break clause in the contract he signed last year, which was due to run until June 2027. He will now move into a global ambassador role within the City Football Group and continue to offer technical advice across the organisation’s clubs.
After the announcement, Guardiola said the decision came from within rather than any external factor.
“Don’t ask me the reasons why I’m leaving,” Guardiola said. “There’s no reason, but deep down I know it’s my time. Nothing is forever, if it was I’d be here. The feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City will be forever.”
The 55-year-old leaves behind one of the greatest managerial legacies in Premier League history. During their decade at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Guardiola’s arrival marked the beginning of a new era for the club. His teams combined relentless intensity with technical precision and tactical control, setting records for points, goals and winning runs while dominating English football for much of the past decade.
The club’s long wait for European success also ended under Guardiola as City lifted the Champions League trophy in Istanbul in 2023, completing a historic treble.
Sunday’s game against Aston Villa will be Guardiola’s 593rd and final game in charge of Manchester City.
In an emotional farewell message, Guardiola reflected on the relationship he has built with the club, the supporters and the city itself.
“When I arrived, my first interview was with Noel Gallagher. I walked away thinking, ‘Okay, Noel’s here? That’s going to be fun.’
“And what a time we had together.
Guardiola also spoke about how Manchester’s working-class identity influenced him during his decades in England.
“This is a city built from labor. From grafts. You can see it in the color of the bricks. From people who came early, stayed late. Factories. The Pankhursts. Unions. Music. Just the Industrial Revolution and how it changed the world.”
“And I think I started to understand that and so did my teams. We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our way. Our way.”
The City boss also thanked the fans for standing by the side of the team through setbacks and triumphs.
“The trips to Bournemouth when we lost the Premier League and you were there. The trips to Istanbul when you were there too.”
Guardiola’s departure signals the end of one of the most decisive managerial reigns English football has witnessed. Apart from the trophies, he changed the expectations surrounding Manchester City and established the club among the elite teams of world football.
Guardiola has long been regarded by City’s hierarchy as central to the club’s footballing identity, making his departure one of the biggest moments in the club’s modern era.
Attention will now turn to finding Guardiola’s successor, with former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expected to be one of the main contenders for the role.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
22 May 2026 16:16 IST
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