Reports suggest that Pep Guardiola is set to step down as Manchester City manager - so what happens next, and who will replace him?
Widespread reports now appear to confirm what Manchester City fans have feared for months – that Pep Guardiola will leave the club at the end of the season, bringing his glittering reign at the Etihad to an end.
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Pep Guardiola | Getty Images
The Spaniard has been in charge for a decade, winning 16 major trophies including six Premier League titles and the 2022/23 Champions League, but seems set to move on despite signing a contract extension last year. But is he definitely leaving Manchester City, what could he do next, and who will replace him when he’s gone?
Is Pep Guardiola definitely leaving Manchester City?
The short answer here is almost certainly – but while reliable news outlets including BBC Sport, Sky Sports and The Times are all reporting that Guardiola is expected to step down after the game against Aston Villa on 24 May, it has yet to be officially announced by the club or by Guardiola himself.
Guardiola insisted in press interviews last week that he had “one year remaining on his contract” with Manchester City but stopped short of denying that he was quitting, and it would be a significant surprise if he did not formally acknowledge the end of his tenure at the Etihad prior to the match against Aston Villa.
Sources inside the club suggest that they are preparing for his departure, with tributes apparently being prepared to a manager widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of the modern era.
For now, the Spaniard has preferred to keep the media focus on the title race, which could yet end with a 16th major trophy of his reign should Arsenal stumble on the final day of the season and Manchester City win their remaining fixtures.
It’s not clear what Guardiola intends to do next, although no reports suggest that he has a new job lined up. A break seems likely, although there will be inevitable speculation about the Spain job should that become vacant after the 2026 World Cup. As it stands, there are no indications that he plans to retire permanently.
Who will replace Guardiola?
Part of the reason that media sources are so confident that Guardiola is leaving is that it has also emerged that Manchester City have already identified his successor – former Chelsea and Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca.
The BBC report that talks with Maresca, who served as Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City during the victorious Champions League campaign in the 2022/23 season, are at an “advanced stage” and the Italian has long been on Manchester City’s radar as a candidate for the role when Guardiola moves on.
Maresca has been out of football since 1 January, when he stepped down as Chelsea head coach following tensions between himself and the club’s owners. Prior to that, he had enjoyed a successful stint at Stamford Bridge, pulling the team back into the top four and winning the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup in 2025.
The former Juventus and Sevilla midfielder also won the Championship with Leicester in 2024, and had a brief spell in charge of Parma in Serie A. Maresca is expected to sign a three-year deal to take over from Guardiola at the Etihad. Confirmation of Maresca’s appointment is likely to follow shortly after the announcement of Guardiola’s departure.
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