Manchester City's era comes to an end. Pep Guardiola (55) will leave the team at the end of this season.
The British Daily Mail exclusively reported on the 19th (Korean time) that Pep Guardiola will step down as Manchester City manager after the final Premier League match against Aston Villa.
According to the report, the club and sponsor partners have already begun to be informed of the matter. Locally, the outlet added that Guardiola's departure had long been treated like an open secret.
After taking charge of Manchester City in 2016, Guardiola rewrote the club's history. He led the team for a full 10 years and lifted a total of 20 trophies.
He won the Premier League six times. He also set the unprecedented record of four consecutive league titles. In addition, he delivered the club's first Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League title, elevating Manchester City to world-class status.
Guardiola is reported to have agonized for months over leaving the team this summer. Although one year remains on his contract, he spoke about his future several times during the season and made significant comments.
However, a complete split may not be certain. The media reported that Guardiola could remain in another role within the club in the future.
Successor candidates were also mentioned. The leading candidates for the next manager include Enzo Maresca, who formerly managed Chelsea, and Vincent Kompany, who currently leads Bayern Munich. Maresca previously served on Manchester City's coaching staff assisting Guardiola. Kompany is also a former legendary Manchester City captain.
Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 in the English Football Association (FA) Cup final held on the 18th to claim the title. At the same time, they continue to compete in the Premier League title race. Manchester City has an away match at Bournemouth and the final match against Aston Villa remaining.
The Daily Mail said Manchester City is also preparing a large parade to commemorate Guardiola's achievements. The victory parade is scheduled to take place on the 19th local time and is said to start in the northern quarter of Manchester city center and continue to the Etihad Stadium.
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