Pep Guardiola has informed Manchester City that he intends to leave the club this summer, with multiple major UK outlets reporting that his final match will be the Premier League season finale against Aston Villa.

As reported on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Guardiola told City’s players he would be stepping away after the final league game, a move that ends what is widely described as a 10-year managerial reign at the Etihad Stadium.

What’s Been Reported

It’s important to be precise about the word “confirmed.” As of May 19, 2026, the “confirmation” is coming from reputable, well-sourced reporting (including The Guardian, Sky, ITV and BBC reporting/analysis), rather than from a single formal club statement published on Manchester City’s official channels. In other words: the decision is reported as confirmed by top media, but the club has been described as not publicly confirming the reports at the time of publication.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – JANUARY 01: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Sunderland and Manchester City at Stadium of Light on January 01, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

That said, the reporting is unusually aligned across outlets, including details such as the timing (after the final league game) and succession planning already underway.

Timeline: How This Accelerated in May 2026

Media coverage over the last few days shows a sharp swing from public denials or deflections to widespread reporting that an internal decision has been communicated to the squad.

Date (2026)	What was reported	Why it matters
May 15	Guardiola publicly referenced having time left on his contract and indicated he wasn’t leaving early	Shows how fast the narrative changed (or how tightly held the decision was)
May 18	Multiple reports say Guardiola will leave at season’s end	First broad media convergence on the same outcome
May 19	Reports say Guardiola informed players; club lines up successor options	Adds the “he’s told the squad” layer, which is typically the point of no return

Why Guardiola Leaving Now is Such a Big Deal

Guardiola isn’t just another departing manager; he’s the architect of City’s modern identity. Since arriving in 2016, his tenure has been defined by:

A sustained domestic title machine (multiple Premier League wins across his era)
Record-setting league seasons (including the 100-point “Centurions” season)
City becoming a global tactical reference point: positional play, pressing triggers, inverted full-backs, and relentless rest-defense structures became “the City template” copied across the league

Even rival and neutral coverage frames this as the end of a Premier League era: not simply because of trophies, but because Guardiola’s methods reshaped what “elite” looks like week-to-week in England.

Manchester City’s Immediate Next steps: Succession Planning

Several outlets report that Enzo Maresca is expected to be the next manager, with City described as lining him up and with discussion of compensation complexities (given his recent employment situation).

This is a crucial detail because it suggests City are not merely reacting—they’re executing a managed transition. Guardiola-style football tends to be “system-dependent,” so the club’s priority will be continuity of:

Recruitment profile (press-resistant midfielders, ball-playing defenders, wide threats with 1v1 gravity)
Training methodology and patterning
Staff/department alignment across first team and academy

That’s why successors with City ties (and philosophical similarity) tend to be favored in reporting.

What Happens Next (practically)

If the reporting holds, the next milestones tend to follow a predictable order in elite clubs:

Internal alignment (board, football director(s), senior players, staff)
Public announcement timed around final fixture / celebrations
Successor formalities (contract, release/compensation issues, backroom staff)
Squad planning: retaining key leaders, replacing departing veterans, and clarifying roles early in preseason

The reporting specifically suggests the club is already at stages 1–3.

FAQs

Has Pep Guardiola officially announced it himself?

Major outlets report the decision and that he told the squad, but some reports note City had not formally confirmed at the time.

When is Guardiola expected to leave?

After the final Premier League game of the season (reported as against Aston Villa), i.e., this summer.

Who is expected to replace him?

Enzo Maresca is widely reported as the expected successor.

Why would City move quickly on a successor?

Because City’s performance model is system-heavy; continuity reduces the risk of a tactical and recruitment reset.

Is this a sudden development?

Speculation has existed for months, but reporting intensified sharply between May 15 and May 19, 2026.