Will Pep Guardiola still be in charge at Manchester City next season?
That is the question everyone in football wants to know the answer to.
The Spaniard has regularly maintained that he sees out contracts when he is with clubs and that would suggest he will still be the manager at the Etihad Stadium for the 2026/27 campaign, with his current contract at Eastlands not due to expire until the summer of 2027.
But there are persistent rumours about his future, following a decade in charge of the Citizens and he did little to quell the rumours following City's UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid this week.
Guardiola Makes Man City Sack Claim
Pep Guardiola
"Oh, everybody wants to fire me, right," he claimed when asked if he would be at the club next year. "Oh my god, guys. One day I will come here and say, ‘bye bye, guys'.
"I’m here, one more year of contract."
Having been dumped out of the Champions League, City now only have the Carabao Cup - the final against Arsenal takes place this weekend - and the FA Cup to play for, with the Premier League title likely out of their grasp with a ten-point deficit to the Gunners to make up in the final eight weeks of the season.
Despite another disappointing campaign without a big title, City have no plans to sack their most successful ever manager, but they have already lined up the man to replace Guardiola when he does decide to leave.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano delivered an update on the situation at City.
Romano Names Next Man City Manager
Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca
He said: "Manchester City as a club are waiting for Pep Guardiola to decide. At the moment, according to my information, the situation is still open. Pep has one more year of his contract, so if he says nothing he will be Man City manager next season. Eventually if Pep decides to leave between now and the end of the season, the name already identified by Manchester City to become the next manager at some point remains, according to my information, Enzo Maresca.
"Maresca has not had so far any sort of contact with Tottenham or Manchester United. Those close to the former Chelsea manager are aware of the situation and interest from Manchester City.
"Manchester City are just preparing for when it's time to say goodbye to Pep Guardiola and it's for Pep to decide and he has not made any decision yet."
Maresca worked under Guardiola at City before going out on his own to be a manager at Leicester City and then Chelsea. And when he was sacked by Chelsea earlier this season, Guardiola said: "Only I can say that Chelsea, I think from my point of view, lose an incredible, incredible manager. Incredible person, but it’s a decision from the hierarchy from Chelsea, so nothing to say.”
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