Official: Pep Guardiola Leaving Manchester City — 10-Year Historic Era Comes to an End, Final Match Sunday Against Aston Villa — "Don't Ask Me the Reasons Why I Am Leaving, There Is No Reason"

The end of an era has come for one of modern football's most successful and influential managers. Manchester City announced with its official statement that Pep Guardiola will leave the club at the end of the season. According to Flashscore, the Spanish manager announced his decision to the public in a video shared on social media on Friday, May 22; this came just before City's final Premier League match of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday. Guardiola, who has been in charge of the Citizens since 2016, is leaving his role as the most successful manager in the club's history — after a legendary era crowned with the Champions League, six Premier League titles, and countless domestic cups.

Guardiola's farewell video deeply moved the football public. The Spanish manager said the following words in the video: "Don't ask me the reasons why I am leaving. There is no reason." Guardiola completed his emotional message with these words: "As my time comes to an end, be happy. Oasis are back again. So, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for trusting me. Thank you for pushing me." This reference to the Manchester band Oasis symbolizes Guardiola's deep attachment to English culture and Manchester. These words carried the character of a farewell belonging to a cultural icon rather than just a manager.

Guardiola's record of success at City constitutes one of the most impressive periods in modern football history. According to ESPN, the Spanish manager won 20 trophies as City boss: six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup. The Premier League titles came in the 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 seasons. As CBS Sports emphasized, four consecutive titles from 2020-21 to 2023-24 meant a team achieving this feat for the first time in Premier League history. Guardiola's City displayed an unparalleled dominance in England's top flight in the modern era.

The peak of his career was the treble in the 2022-23 season. According to CBS Sports, City ended its long wait for its first Champions League title by winning the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup in this campaign. This was the first time Guardiola had carried a team to a treble — he had previously attempted this feat in his roles at Barcelona and Bayern Munich but failed. It was also the first time an English team had achieved this feat since Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the 1998-99 season. The treble went down in history as the cornerstone of Guardiola's legendary legacy.

The background of the departure decision is also a matter of curiosity. According to ESPN, City's poor performance in the 2024-25 season had pushed Guardiola to sign a new contract; however, the deal being for two extra years rather than one had created surprise within the club. City had known for a while that despite being under contract until 2027, Guardiola had earmarked the summer of 2026 as the point of departure. According to Sky Sports, Guardiola recently spoke cautiously about his future after the match in which they drew 1-1 with Bournemouth and handed Arsenal the Premier League title, saying "The first person who has to talk is the chairman."

Predictions about his successor have also already begun. According to CBS Sports, Guardiola is expected to be succeeded by Enzo Maresca, who was once his assistant at City and the former Chelsea coach who won the Conference League and Club World Cup last season before leaving in January. Maresca being a manager who has absorbed the Guardiola philosophy shows the City management's intention to preserve continuity. The Italian manager's potential return to the Etihad reflects the desire to continue the style of play of the Guardiola era. However, it is also a fact that no manager can be compared to the giant legacy Guardiola leaves behind.

Guardiola's impact on English football cannot be measured by trophies alone. As ESPN emphasized, the Spanish manager's influence extends to every outpost he has visited with City and beyond. Guardiola fundamentally changed the playing standard of the Premier League with his positional play, high press, use of goalkeeper's feet, and tactical innovations. Rival managers copied his systems, analyzed them, and developed counter-strategies. In Jamie Carragher's commentary in The Telegraph: "Pep Guardiola is the greatest football coach of all time and we should cherish every remaining minute of his Premier League career." This assessment summarizes the respect the English football community has for Guardiola.

The coming period means a new beginning for Manchester City. Guardiola's departure will require the club to redefine its on-field identity and future vision. City is facing more than 115 charges of breaching the Premier League's financial rules on the off-field front — the club denies all of them. Guardiola's departure, occurring in the shadow of this legal process, symbolizes the closing of an era. The match to be played against Aston Villa at the Etihad on Sunday is not just a Premier League encounter; it will be the last dance in England of one of modern football's greatest managers. The Etihad stands are preparing an emotional farewell for their legendary manager — the end of an era is being written in golden letters in football history.