Manchester City have officially announced that Pep Guardiola will step down as manager this summer after exactly 10 years, having joined the club in July 2016.
Guardiola will stay with City Football Group as Global Ambassador, providing technical advice across their network of clubs rather than departing entirely.
Speaking about his exit, Guardiola said: “Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.
“This is a city built from work. From graft. You see it in the colour of the bricks. From people who clocked in early, stayed late. The factories. The Pankhursts. The unions. The music. Simply the Industrial Revolution and how this changed the world. And I think I grew to understand that, and my teams did too.
“We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way. Our way.”
Reflecting on the news, Manchester City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: “Over the last ten years honesty and trust have formed the bedrock on which we have navigated every situation together with Pep – always understanding that we could find the right answer together. Today the right answer is for Pep to finish his journey as the Manager of Manchester City.
“There have been points along the way when he could have stopped, and it would have been enough. Somehow, Pep always found new energy and pushed on, finding different and innovative ways to continue winning and delivering success.
“As a result, the Club has a decade of memories and success to be forever grateful for, and much more than that, an evolution that cannot be undone.
“The unique approach that he brings to his coaching has allowed him to constantly challenge the accepted truths of our game. It is the reason that in the last ten years he has not only made Manchester City better – he has also made football better.”
Manchester City Chief Executive Officer Ferran Soriano said the Club was privileged to work alongside Guardiola for 10 years, adding that his legacy was extraordinary and its true impact would be better assessed by Manchester City historians of the future.
Soriano said Guardiola was incredibly persistent, resilient and humble, the reason for his many successes.
“If there is something more difficult than winning, it is winning again. It requires incredible persistence, resilience and the humility to start again every year, with the same energy, again and again. This is what Pep did.
“As we celebrate the past, we are also very happy to know that Pep will stay with the Group and we will be able to use his knowledge and experience in so many of our other clubs to help managers and players.
“We will forever be grateful to Pep and cherish so many unforgettable memories. He is a City legend… forever.”
Guardiola arrived at the Etihad on July 1, 2016, inheriting a side that had finished fourth in the Premier League the previous season under Manuel Pellegrini. He oversaw 591 matches for the club, recording 423 wins, 76 draws and 92 defeats.
During his time in charge, he secured 20 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five Carabao EFL Cups, three Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup, making him the most successful Manager in City’s history.
He is expected to oversee his last match at the club against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, May 24.
His achievements include a record-breaking 100-point Premier League season and an overall win rate of around 71.6%. While these feats stand alongside — and in some eyes rival — Sir Alex Ferguson’s unparalleled 13 Premier League titles with Manchester United, the question of who ranks as the greatest coach in Premier League history continues to spark lively debate.
