Manchester City have given Pep Guardiola a huge honour after his upcoming departure from the club was confirmed
Pep Guardiola during a Manchester City press conference
Pep Guardiola will have a stand named after him at Manchester City(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
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Manchester City will rename the Etihad Stadium's newly-constructed North Stand after Pep Guardiola.
The decision was announced on Friday after it was confirmed the Spaniard was to leave City after the season ends this weekend.
A statue of the 55-year-old - who will take up a new role with the club's owners as an ambassador - will also be made and will feature on approach to the North Stand, which will operate at full capacity for the first time on Sunday against Aston Villa as the 2025/26 campaign draws to a close.
The 7,000-capacity stand brings the Etihad Stadium's overall capacity to 61,000 and as well as enabling more supporters to attend matches, City will hope it can become a revenue generator for the club too.
"I said a long time ago that Manchester City should have the very best people at its disposal, both on and off the field," City owner Sheikh Mansour said. "For ten years Pep has been the personification of that ambition.
"He has made an indelible imprint on the DNA of the Club. One that is borne more from how he won than from the many trophies he lifted.
The North Stand at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium
The North Stand at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium will be renamed after Pep Guardiola(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
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"He has the unending gratitude of myself and the entire City family, a family of which he will always be part."
City say they intend for the North Stand to be a new focal point for the Etihad Stadium alongside a new hotel and museum.
"The Pep Guardiola Stand, and the statue that will sit outside it, rightly ensure that Pep's legacy will remain forever woven into the fabric of this football club, the city of Manchester and English football," City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said.
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"The unique relationship that he has with our fans has been earned through the honesty and passion of his ten seasons fighting to bring them success. The Pep Guardiola Stand is a fitting and permanent reminder of that relationship, the most successful period in our club's history, and the unique football genius at its heart."