Manchester City have lost out in the Premier League title race to Arsenal and look set to lose their manager as well after a dramatic 24 hours
Pep Guardiola walks down the players' tunnel as he leaves the pitch following Manchester City's 1-1 draw in the Premier League match at Bournemouth
Pep Guardiola opted not to clarify his future after Manchester City's draw at Bournemouth
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This is not what Pep Guardiola wanted. In the space of 24 hours, news broke of his impending departure from Manchester City after a glorious decade in charge, then his side conceded the Premier League title to Arsenal after a draw at Bournemouth.
Guardiola and City wanted the focus to be on the football, both in the hours ahead of the trip to the south coast and in the season-long pursuit of silverware. The news and the noise of Monday night cannot have helped the squad.
That should take nothing away from Bournemouth, who played very well and secured themselves a spot in Europe for next season. Guardiola was magnanimous afterwards with his praise for the Cherries and for new champions Arsenal. The boss also referenced the hectic schedule his side have faced in the closing fortnight of the season.
City wanted this fixture to be played on Thursday given the exertions of the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday. Those pleas fell on deaf ears and City now have to deal with losing a title race, and losing perhaps the greatest manager the game has ever seen.
Guardiola opted not to clarify his position when speaking after the game, instead saying he will now talk with the club and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. But the writing looks on the wall. He spoke for six and a half minutes with reporters and was perfectly pleasant but made it clear there was not going to be any confirmation of what will come next.
Guardiola has suggested previously that he will take a break once his City tenure is over, but he also has his eyes set on international management and there could be more than one vacancy after the World Cup that interests him; Spain will surely be a no-go but England, Italy, and Brazil could tempt. As he has done at City, the manager will likely be flexible over what he does next.
There will be a flex at City too. Enzo Maresca is the main in waiting. He has the approval of both Guardiola and his bosses, who are confident he can adapt into a winning system while making his own mark.
Maresca wants to meet the City squad next week. The Blues finish their campaign on Sunday and the majority of the squad will then head off to the World Cup in North America. With a major tournament eating into preparation time for the new season, Maresca wants to speak introduce himself to the players and run through pre-season plans.
City will travel to Asia this summer for a pre-season tour with a game against Inter Milan confirmed for Saturday, August 1. Maresca also wants to hold detailed talks with Guardiola to discuss the squad he is inheriting. Guardiola will be doing a lot of talking over the next few days.