Manchester City Succession Plans: Guardiola To Step Down And Enzo Maresca As Favourite

Pep Guardiola confirms a decade in charge of Manchester City will end after this season. Guardiola has guided City to six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and five EFL Cups, including both domestic cups in 2025-26. City also collected one Champions League, three Community Shields, one UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

Guardiola’s last match as Manchester City manager comes against Aston Villa at the Etihad on Sunday. City already secure second place in the Premier League after a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth in midweek. The farewell will close a 10-year spell shaped by sustained domestic dominance.

Attention now turns to identifying the next Manchester City manager for the 2026-27 campaign. Former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, who previously worked as Guardiola’s assistant at City, is widely reported as the leading candidate. Maresca is viewed within the club as a natural fit for the Etihad dugout.

Guardiola makes clear that Manchester City staff should not rely on him when choosing a successor. The coach does not expect to be involved in the selection process and believes the club must make an independent call. Guardiola insists any new head coach should bring a personal identity and ideas.

"It doesn’t work to copy and paste in this kind of job," Guardiola said. "You have to be unique, natural and yourself, and the new manager will be himself. The moment it starts to be a copy for another one ... Everyone is everyone. It has to be like that. And that's why everything is going to be good."

Guardiola’s view underlines a wider belief that Manchester City must evolve after a sustained period of success. The club prepares for life after a manager with six league titles and major trophies across Europe and the world, while supporters focus on giving Guardiola a final Etihad send-off against Aston Villa.