Pep Guardiola expected to leave Manchester City

Some interesting news coming out of the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City are preparing for the possibility of Pep Guardiola leaving the club after Sunday’s match with Aston Villa.

Author | Macca

Guardiola is expected to depart the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.

City insist he remains under contract for next season and are hopeful he will stay on.

Even so, preparations for a potential farewell are understood to be under way, with members of staff expecting him to leave.

He had suggested he had one more year at the club

It is believed several members of the squad are also anticipating Guardiola’s departure following the final game of the campaign against Villa, while the club have begun considering how best to honour the reign of their iconic manager.

One option under discussion is naming the newly expanded North Stand after Guardiola.

Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who previously worked under Guardiola at City, is regarded as the leading candidate to succeed the 55-year-old.

A memorable decade at the club

Guardiola has guided City to 17 major trophies, and 20 overall, including six Premier League titles, the Champions League, three FA Cups and five League Cups during a decade in Manchester.

Widely viewed as the club’s greatest manager, and among the finest coaches of his generation, Guardiola could still complete his remarkable spell at the Etihad with a seventh Premier League crown, having already lifted both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season.

Speculation surrounding his future has persisted for months, with questions about his position regularly surfacing in news conferences.

Asked on Friday whether the FA Cup final trip to Wembley would be his last visit there as City manager, Guardiola dismissed the suggestion.

“No way,” he said, reminding reporters he still had “one more year” remaining on his contract.