Pep Guardiola reportedly gathered his Manchester City squad for a late-night meeting after fresh claims emerged that the Spaniard will leave the club at the end of the season.
The development came just hours before City’s decisive Premier League meeting with Bournemouth, with reports suggesting the City manager was angered by the timing of the leak.
According to reports, Guardiola personally informed the players that he intends to step away following Sunday’s final league fixture against Aston Villa.
The news has sent shockwaves through English football, bringing the curtain down on what could become one of the most successful managerial reigns in Premier League history.
The 55-year-old has spent nearly a decade transforming City into the dominant force in English football.
Since arriving in Manchester in 2016, Guardiola has overseen a remarkable period of success, turning the club into serial trophy winners and redefining expectations both domestically and in Europe.
But despite another successful campaign that included FA Cup glory at Wembley on Saturday, speculation surrounding his future intensified on Monday evening.
Reports indicated that Guardiola had decided to leave the Etihad Stadium once the current season concludes.
The timing of the reports is believed to have frustrated Guardiola, especially with City still involved in a tense Premier League title race.
City remain outsiders for the league title but can still retain hope if they win their final two matches and results elsewhere fall in their favour.
A report from The Sun claimed Guardiola immediately arranged a group conference call with his players to address the situation directly and prevent further uncertainty from spreading through the dressing room.
“Pep is furious at the timing just before a game. He summoned the players to join a late night group call and confirmed he was leaving,” reports the Manchester Evening News
“He apologised for the way the news emerged. It took him by surprise. The players were told as recently as Saturday that he wasn’t going so everyone is in a state of shock.”
The unexpected nature of the announcement appears to have left many within the club stunned. Only days earlier, confidence reportedly remained high that Guardiola would continue beyond the current campaign.
Instead, the focus has now shifted towards how City will navigate the closing days of the season while also preparing for a future without the man who reshaped the club’s modern identity.
Manchester City have so far declined to publicly comment on the reports. Guardiola, however, is expected to face intense scrutiny when he addresses the media around Tuesday’s trip to the Vitality Stadium.
End of a golden Manchester City chapter
If Guardiola’s departure is confirmed, it would mark the end of one of the defining managerial eras in modern football.
During his time in charge, City evolved into a relentless winning machine, collecting major honours with remarkable consistency.
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The former FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach arrived in England with enormous expectations and exceeded almost all of them. His Manchester City side not only won trophies but regularly rewrote records along the way.
Under Guardiola, City secured six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented sequence of four consecutive championships.
The club also achieved long-awaited European success when they lifted the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.
Domestic cup competitions brought further silverware. Guardiola guided City to three FA Cups, five League Cups and multiple Community Shield victories, establishing an era of dominance unmatched in the club’s recent history.
Saturday’s FA Cup final victory over Chelsea FC may now be remembered as Guardiola’s final triumph as City manager.
The club are also preparing a major celebration to honour Guardiola’s contribution. Reports suggest an open-top bus parade through Manchester has been arranged for Monday, featuring the men’s squad alongside the women’s and academy teams in recognition of the success achieved during his reign.
Attention has also turned towards who could replace Guardiola in the dugout. Former City assistant Enzo Maresca has reportedly agreed to become the club’s next manager.
Maresca previously worked under Guardiola during the 2022-23 campaign before moving into management roles of his own.
