Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about his decision to leave the club after 10 years and 20 trophies
Pep Guardiola at his final pre-match Manchester City press conference
Pep Guardiola at his final pre-match Manchester City press conference
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Pep Guardiola has spoken for the first time since his Manchester City departure was confirmed. The Blues boss delivered a farewell message for fans on Friday morning and then spoke to reporters in the afternoon ahead of the Premier League game with Aston Villa.
City have confirmed that the North Stand will be renamed in honour of the Catalan and there will also be a statue commissioned to be on the approach to that stand. Guardiola will also continue with the City Football Group, working as a global ambassador in a role that will prohibit him from taking other coaching roles alongside it.
Blues can saw farewell to him in Sunday's game with Aston Villa, while there will also be a parade with the men's team, women's team and youth team on Monday in Manchester for him. He is expected to speak at both of those occasions before leaving his role as City manager.
Here is everything he spoke about with reporters on Friday.
How does it feel to be sat there about to say goodbye to this club?
"Really satisfied. I don't know the right words. Satisfied, happy and proud. It has been maybe the experience of my life, otherwise I would not have been 10 years. I cannot be more grateful for the amount of love and affection that I had for many years."
Why now?
"It's the time. It's not wake up go to sleep one day and wake up the day after and say now is the time to leave. It is a process that I felt for a while and always the club respect me unbelievably for the decision. The club has to be ready and I felt that this job is every three days during many years: Selhurst Park, Anfield, Madrid and Madrid, FA Cup and now I have to live my life and see what happens. Ten years is a lot of time and I think the club needs a new manager, new energy with the incredible players that we have right now and start to write another chapter."
When was the first moment you thought about leaving?
"It's not about when. It's not today or tomorrow, it's a time that you feel ok let's do it. It's not yesterday or one week ago, it's a little bit but of course we are in competition and I want to be completely away because I need the players to be with me and me with them. The moment we cannot fight for anything else because it is already achieved, that is the moment to say. I want to say a proper goodbye to my people on Sunday, I want to hug them all on the pitch, and that's why we announced it."
What do you want to do next?
"Rest. No plans to train for a while, otherwise I would be here. I need to step back, I will not train for a while."
What does the role as a CFG ambassador mean?
"When we talked together, I said I would love to continue to be part of this club. I will not take zero decisions but to be part of the club if they need me to represent them or do something at the many clubs that this organisation has I will be there. I like to still be part of this club in a different role, not in the daily decisions or being in the spotlight, always behind the scenes but I like to be part of that."
Jurgen Klopp said he was running out of energy when he left. Is that the same for you?
"Absolutely. I had, I have, I will not have. I feel I will not have the energy that is required every three days with expectations to fight for titles, being in front of the players. I know myself. I have that energy but I feel I will not have that. It's time. It's 10 years.
"The biggest decisions happen not because I don't have that ambition or I don't want to try it again but it's just after ten years. I don't think it's good for an organisation to have people over many, many years. it's good to shake, to move with new faces - for everyone. If I would not have believed that, if they don't sack me I would stay here but it's the perfect moment and time - much better than last season, for example.
"Don't take for granted that the seasons has been exceptional fighting against Arsenal until the last moment, winning two of three English titles and fight every game like the team do it. It's really good."
How much does the job take out of you?
"The job didn't take out anything, I know what my job is and what's required and I am ready to enjoy that so it's normal, it's nothing special. The institution has incredible health, it's in a good position and everyone will push to continue to be there."
When did you tell the players?
"This morning."
How did they react?
"The speech was a disaster, I was so nervous - more than ever. I tell them like I'm telling all of you, the questions that require I have this passion and energy that I had since I was little boy now I feel I will not have in the future. I have to be honest with myself but especially for the club that gave me everything and the people that rely on me incredibly."
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What state do you leave the squad in compared to the one when you arrived?
"It was good in that moment and always I said 93:20 - the Aguero goal - is the biggest moment in this club, that is legacy. The players that experienced that, Kompany, Zabaleta, many players and we have to continue to grow, grow, grow. That is what the club must be."
Neville and Carragher say you are greatest manager of all time
"Good. Take a beer with them? Do Gary and Jamie deserve it? Honestly, I don't know. I know I had incredible success as a manager and it's nice to be there. One of the biggest compliments I had was I got a message from Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday or two days ago and that made me so happy. I got a message from Kevin today, Manu Akanji was here. That made me realise how happy and fortunate I am.
"These type of debates are not important. I've been happy doing my job at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here I give everything, to the last drop of what I have and that . I leave with incredible peace of my soul to leave this club in a better position and the people of this club enjoy what we have done in these 10 years."
Nine years today since the Arena attack. What do the people and spirit of the city mean to you?
"When you live 10 years here, you know all the corridors of the city - the good and the bad. Cris, the mother of my kids, and my little daughter were in there at that moment and they were lucky and other people were not. Today is a nine year anniversary and it is always present in my family. When you live ten years here, you are not just at the Etihad or the CFA.
"You live in this city, you know the city. Mike Summerbee sits every day with us. I try to reflect what the club means in my time here. When you win 20 titles, you have been here ten years. being manager you have to win but a part of that is not just that. The phone call from Kevin means everything to me, more than the titles. It's the memories that you get that you have a lot and it is so special"
North Stand renamed after you. How does that make you feel?
"I'm speechless, no words. What can I say? Khaldoon called me this morning and said the club made that decision. I like to feel that my vibe or my energy will be there forever so my energy, I said ok good energy for the team. It's one of the most huge honours I can get so thank you so much to the club to deliver to me and my family. My father will come on Sunday, 94 years old, to watch the game. It's an incredible honour to have his name in this beautiful place. It's an incredible honour in this beautiful place and I have no words."
What will you remember most and what are you most proud of?
"It's a question for the people. Hopefully they enjoyed watching us play. The moments were fun, moments we played really good and others were not. It happens in 10 years but all the trophies have been good I would say the first Premier League was important and of course I cannot deny the Champions League after trying for many years to be close but all of them. Going to Wembley 24 times defined us. There is one sentence, talking to Noel Gallagher two years ago. He said we were a team not able to win four games in a row and now we are going for four Premier Leagues in a row. I said wow, that is a good sentence for the step for this club since Abu Dhabi took over. To be part of that made me so proud and so happy."
File photo dated 14/02/2026 of Pep Guardiola. Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, the club have announced. Issue date: Friday May 22, 2026
(Image: © 2026 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)
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Can you share what Sir Alex Ferguson said to you?
"Well with his Scottish accent I struggle. I didn't talk, it was a voicemail. I will call him back for sure. He congratulated for the trajectory and for what we achieved. It means a lot to me. It's not to be humble enough but he is the greatest in this country. The tenure, the times, for many reasons. I'm so happy, I miss Johan Cruyff a lot who is not able to witness what we live. I'm happy that Sir Alex the greatest could. I'm pretty sure that Sir Alex will not call us the noisy neighbours again, we are just the neighbours, and I'm so happy that he was there to watch us."
How long did you think you would last and why have you stayed for so long.
"Not ten years. It was impossible I came for three years and said let's see what happens, and the rest is history. I think I continued because both parts were comfortable. It helps me a lot that Txiki was here, Ferran was here, the manager has been incredibly protected by the hierarchy and of course the titles makes that you continue but the support helps to win titles that make you continue."
You leave a young squad with a bright future and have elevated the club. That as important as trophies for you as you leave the club?
"It helps. It's important to arrive in the club where the standards are so high because that is the level and push each other but the future must be win every training session every single day. The future will not be given, and they will do it. I know the club, I know the people"
Tough to decide that it's time to leave and did you sway on your decision?
"It's what I said before. When I took the decision it's not the decision to make the day today for tomorrow. It's the process that I require, I have to breathe, it's a natural situation. After, when I decided maybe it will be last season and the club say take time, think about it, maybe you can do it one more year. And after that, I arrived at the moment when I said that it's better for another energy to come here."
You will enjoy the rest or need to manage and work?
"Many people, my closest people, when I said it will be my last season they said after three months you will come back. I said maybe but I need to prove it. I don't think so, I will take a while, but I have to prove to myself. It's not ten years, except half a year in New York it has been 17 or 18 years every three days with people demanding Trebles and Premier Leagues and I need to breathe a little bit and relax. I will be out for a while. That is my feeling right now."