Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday that he will leave the club at the end of the season, ending an historic 10-year tenure that transformed Manchester City into one of football’s dominant powers.

City announced that Guardiola will step down After Sunday’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa. The Spaniard, who joined the club in 2016, departed as the most successful manager in Manchester City history after winning 20 major trophies.

Guardiola has activated a break clause in the contract he signed last year, which was due to run until June 2027. He will now move into a global ambassador role within City Football Group and will continue to provide technical advice to clubs across the organisation.

Speaking after the announcement, Guardiola said that the decision came from within rather than any external factor.

“Don’t ask me the reason for my departure,” Guardiola said. “There’s no reason, but deep down I know it’s my time. Nothing is eternal, if it were, I would be here. The feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for Manchester City will be eternal.”

The 55-year-old leaves behind one of the greatest managerial legacies in Premier League history. During their decade at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Guardiola’s arrival marked the beginning of a new era for the club. His teams combined relentless intensity with technical precision and tactical control, dominating English football for much of the last decade and setting records for points, goals and winning runs.

The club’s long wait for European success also ended under Guardiola when City lifted the Champions League trophy in Istanbul in 2023, completing a historic treble-winning campaign.

Sunday’s match against Aston Villa will be Guardiola’s 593rd and final game in charge of Manchester City.

In an emotional farewell message, Guardiola reflected on the relationship he had built with the club, the supporters and the city.

“When I arrived, my first interview was with Noel Gallagher. I walked out thinking, ‘Okay Noel is here? This will be fun.’

“And what a great time we’ve had together.”

Guardiola also explained how Manchester’s working-class identity influenced him during his decade in England.

“This is a city made of work. Of corruption. You see it in the color of the bricks. Of people who came early, stayed late. Of factories. Of Pankhurst. Of unions. Of music. Just the Industrial Revolution and how it changed the world.

“And I think I started to understand it, and my teams understood it too. We worked. We suffered losses. We struggled. And we did things our way. Our way.”

The City boss thanked the supporters for standing by the team in both setbacks and victories.

“Trips to Bournemouth, when we lost the Premier League, and you were there. Trips to Istanbul, when you were there, too.”

Guardiola’s departure signals the end of one of the defining managerial reigns seen in English football. Beyond the trophies, he transformed Manchester City’s expectations and established the club among the elite teams in world football.

City’s hierarchy have long viewed Guardiola as a central figure in the club’s footballing identity, making his exit one of the biggest moments in the club’s modern era.

Attention will now turn to the search for Guardiola’s successor, with former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expected to be one of the leading contenders for the role.

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