Pep Guardiola will resign as the manager of Manchester City this summer, as confirmed by the club on Friday.
The 55-year-old will lead his final match against Aston Villa on Sunday, concluding a remarkable 10-year tenure at the Etihad Stadium filled with silverware. In his honor, City plans to rename their North Stand to The Pep Guardiola Stand and erect a statue of him.
Guardiola has opted to exercise a break clause in his contract, which was originally set to last until June 2027, and will depart a year early.
He will take on a role as a global ambassador and provide technical guidance to clubs within the City Football Group.
Throughout his time at City, Guardiola secured 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup.
“Please don’t ask me why I’m leaving,” he stated. “There is no specific reason, but deep down, I know it’s time for me to go. Nothing lasts forever; if it did, I would still be here. The emotions, the people, the memories, and the love I have for Manchester City will endure.”
“This city was built on hard work, as evident in the color of the bricks. It’s shaped by people who dedicated themselves, from factories to the Pankhursts to the unions. The music and the Industrial Revolution reshaped the world—and I believe I’ve come to understand that, as did my teams.”
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“We worked hard, we endured challenges, we fought, and we did things our way.”
City achieved a significant milestone by hiring Guardiola, who is often regarded as the finest coach of his generation, a decade ago.
His most notable accomplishments include the 2023 treble of Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League, a domestic treble in 2019, and a record 100-point league performance in 2018.
He leaves after securing the domestic cup double this season, with hopes of a seventh title dashed in their penultimate match against Bournemouth, which ended in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday.
Ferran Soriano, the chief executive officer, remarked, “Pep’s legacy is extraordinary, and its true impact will be better assessed by future historians of Manchester City.”
Reporting by PA contributed to this article.