Guardiola to step down after glittering decade at Man City

Guardiola guided City to 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles, and won the Champions League for the first time in the club's history.

Aston Villa's visit to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday will be his final match in charge, although he is set to continue working for the City Football Group as a global ambassador.

"What a time we have had together," Guardiola said in an emotional video released by City.

"Don't ask me the reasons I'm leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it's my time.

"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."

The Catalan's impending departure was first reported on Monday, two days after he won his third FA Cup at the club.

At that point, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was tight-lipped on his future, with City missing out on the Premier League title to Arsenal 24 hours later.

Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who previously worked on Guardiola's staff at City, has been widely reported as the man set to take over at the Etihad.

Guardiola said the club needed "new energy" to maintain the standards they have set over his tenure and ruled out an immediate return to the game in another coaching role.

"I need to breathe a little bit, and relax," added Guardiola. "It'll be a while, that is my feeling right now."

Sheikh Mansour, vice president of the United Arab Emirates, whose takeover of City in 2008 transformed the club's fortunes, said Guardiola had "the unending gratitude of myself and the entire City family."

One of a kind

Guardiola arrived in England as already one of Europe's most decorated coaches.

His four-year spell at boyhood club Barcelona between 2008 and 2012, which included two Champions League triumphs and three La Liga titles, won him admirers across the globe.

He added three more league titles in three seasons at Bayern but missed out on further European success.

Guardiola was not expected to stay in the Premier League for the long term but he put down roots and his influence has transformed the English game at all levels.

Backed by the deep pockets of Abu Dhabi royalty, City have stepped out of the shadow of local rivals Manchester United to become the dominant force in the Premier League.

"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," said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

A statue of Guardiola has been commissioned to stand outside the Etihad's newly expanded north stand, which will be named in his honour.

Guardiola's brand of passing football has been copied from grassroots through to the elite level.

"The impact he had on every league where he trained, it's just one of a kind," said England manager Thomas Tuchel. "One of the very, very, very best."

Even City's competitors have turned to Guardiola's disciples to catch up.

Arsenal's 22-year wait to win the Premier League was ended by another of his former assistants, Mikel Arteta.

Guardiola's exit comes as City await the outcome of an investigation into more than 100 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules.

The club deny all any wrongdoing, but the case has hung over City's achievements on the pitch ever since they were first charged in February 2023.