Pep Guardiola fought back tears on Sunday as Manchester City’s 10-year spell as manager ended with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, followed by heartfelt farewells to Guardiola, Bernardo Silva, and John Stones, and a look ahead to Enzo Maresca as the likely succes
MANCHESTER — The tears came long before the final whistle.
On Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola stood on the pitch with his hands to his eyes. trying to steady himself as Manchester City’s season of goodbyes reached its last act. His final game ended in a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa. but the scoreline felt secondary to the moment: the end of 10 years that changed the identity of the club and rewrote the expectations of English football.
“I never could have imagined the amount of love I’ve found,” Guardiola said, speaking from the center of the field to the crowd that had cheered him through dominance and history. “It is an incredible, tremendous honor to be your manager, to be here 10 years.”
The emotion had been building in stages. Before the substitutes, two of his most trusted figures — Bernardo Silva and John Stones — also marked their own farewell. Both were given guards of honor when they came off during the second half, and the scene set the tone for what followed.
Guardiola’s own guard arrived next. The stadium announcer introduced him with words that landed hard in a place that had begun to feel like a second home. “This is the man who changed everything. ” the announcer said as Guardiola ran onto the field wearing khakis and a cream T-shirt. Fans responded with chants of “10 more years,” and Guardiola shook his head in defiance.
On Friday, Guardiola had confirmed he could do no more. After turning City into the most dominant Premier League team of its generation and delivering a first Champions League crown in 2023, he said the time was right to hand over the reins.
“I will not miss it for a while,” Guardiola told supporters Sunday. “I feel deeply… it is the right decision.”
For everyone inside the stadium, the day wasn’t only about what he won. It was about how he left — with guidance still ready for the next chapter. Guardiola did not name his replacement, but he said he would call his successor to offer advice.
“Be yourself… be free with your ideas and work a lot. Everything will be fine,” he said.
The club’s next move is already taking shape behind the scenes. Former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca, who won the Club World Cup last year, is the favorite to take over Manchester City, with an announcement possibly coming this week.
The scale of what Guardiola built has never been in doubt. In 10 years at City, he collected 17 major trophies and oversaw records that still read like a challenge to the sport itself. City won six Premier League titles under him, alongside a first Champions League crown in 2023.
This season’s farewell also included silverware. Guardiola’s trophy haul in his final run featured a domestic double of the English League Cup and the FA Cup. He also led City to the treble in 2023. winning the Premier League. Champions League and FA Cup — a feat that matched Manchester United’s achievement from more than 20 years earlier in 1999.
There were milestones beyond trophies. City became the first team to win four straight English leagues and the first to amass 100 points in a single season in 2018. The following year, City became the first to win the domestic treble of the league, FA Cup and League Cup in the same season.
In a club where standards are now measured in banners and records, that legacy carries extra weight. Guardiola, though, pressed for realism. “Fans don’t forget that winning the treble, doubles is exceptional,” he said. “It is so difficult, this business is so complicated. That’s why when you come here, you win one game, here in the Etihad – enjoy it. Celebrate it.”.
He also left his supporters with something personal. More than just a send-off, Guardiola urged them to keep him close in memory — telling fans Sunday to hug him if they ever see him again, saying “I will need it.”
For long-time supporters, hearing him speak made the moment feel even sharper. City fan Fred Taylor. 82. said Guardiola means “everything” to the club and called what happened across the decade “absolutely brilliant.” “I can’t think of another manager that’s done what he’s done in the 10-year period he’s been here. ” Taylor said. The highlight for him remains the treble. “That’s what we always wanted that … we’d never done it,” he said.
Richard Wilbourn described the departure as something he still couldn’t properly put into words. “It’s hard to describe. it’s someone you don’t actually know. but you feel like you do know. ” he said. “When I heard the news (he was leaving) I got a bit emotional. What he’s done for the club has been absolutely unreal. and it’s something that we’ve never seen in our lifetime. Growing up through my mid-20s to mid-30s (he’s been) a massive part of my life.”.
Manchester City has honored Guardiola in tangible ways too. The club named its newly developed north stand after him, and he will also take up a role as global ambassador.
As the day closed and the crowd looked back at what they’d lived through. Taylor summed up the mix of grief and acceptance that hovered around the stadium. “I’m sad he’s leaving, but I think he’s leaving at the right time,” he said. “He’s done everything and he can’t go any further in this club. but I think he’s done brilliant and I wish him all the best.”.
Pep Guardiola Manchester City Aston Villa Premier League Enzo Maresca Bernardo Silva John Stones Etihad Stadium farewell