Multiple reports say Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City at the end of the 2025/26 season, ending a decade that brought the club a long list of major honours. He signed a contract extension in November 2025 running to June 2027, but sources say he has decided to step aside when this campaign finishes. City are reported to have begun informing commercial partners ahead of an expected formal announcement on Sunday, while Guardiola will remain in charge for City’s final Premier League matches. If you want the facts as they land, follow Manchester City’s official channels for the club statement and details about the end-of-season celebrations.

If you are following Manchester City this week, the big change is simple. Pep Guardiola is reported to be leaving at the end of the 2025/26 season, so the last fixtures of the campaign carry extra meaning. I’ll tell you straight, that raises the stakes for both supporters who want a fitting send-off and for anyone tracking the title race.

Why this week matters

Reports over the past 24 hours say Guardiola will step down when the season finishes. That's despite a contract extension he signed in November 2025 that ran through June 2027. Manchester City are reported to have started informing commercial partners and other stakeholders ahead of an expected public announcement on Sunday. For fans, the immediate consequence is plain. Guardiola will still be in the dugout for City’s remaining Premier League matches, including an away fixture at Bournemouth and a final home match against Aston Villa.

The scale of what Guardiola built at the Etihad explains the attention. Across 10 seasons he has led City to six Premier League titles, including a run of four consecutive championships, and to the club’s first Champions League triumph in 2023. City have also won multiple domestic cups under his tenure, and several accounts put his total haul of major honours at the club at 20. This season added to that list, with City claiming both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, completing a domestic cup double ahead of the final league fixtures.

That record matters for how the week will feel. Matches that might otherwise be routine have a farewell edge. The club has celebrations planned around the season’s end that are expected to double as Guardiola’s send-off. Reports list an open-top bus parade and a public celebration in Manchester to follow the final match. For supporters planning to attend, keep an eye on the club for logistics and timing.

Succession and the longer hangover

One question splits the audience and the boardroom. Do you prioritise continuity, or do you want a fresh voice? The brief answers are already circling in reports. Former assistants and recent coaches linked to Guardiola have been named as possible successors across the pieces surveyed, with Enzo Maresca identified by several outlets as a leading candidate to take over.

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Sources say City are weighing both internal and external options as they prepare for a handover.

That mirrors the scale of the managerial moment in English football. Guardiola arrived from Bayern Munich in 2016 after rebooting Barcelona. Coverage repeatedly frames his exit as a turning point for the club and for top-level English management, given the tactical identity he installed and the long list of titles he won. The club’s approach to succession will shape whether the next era is a gentle continuation or a deliberate reset.

There has already been reaction inside the game. Former England defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said he was surprised by the timing of the leak and that both City and Guardiola would be disappointed that details were released during broadcast coverage of another match, commenting, "I'm surprised that it's broken right now." That remark captures one of the immediate irritants around the timing. City and Guardiola will have to manage the optics of a major exit while completing a season that still has matches to play.

Practical questions are already surfacing. How will the squad respond when a manager is confirmed to be leaving? Will the board accelerate planning for a replacement to avoid a prolonged vacuum? Reports note City will use both internal and external searches. Enzo Maresca has been singled out in several pieces as a leading internal option, but the club is reported to be keeping its options open.

Honestly, for anyone tracking the broader calendar, Guardiola’s decision matters beyond Manchester. His departure joins a string of high-profile exits at major clubs, and journalists note the wider framing of the moment. The handover process at City will be watched for clues about succession planning at the elite level, and about how clubs handle transitions after long, trophy-laden tenures.

For supporters who want to make plans, here is the practical bit. Guardiola will manage the remaining fixtures this week. The fixtures named in reports are the trip to Bournemouth and the final home match against Aston Villa. The club’s end-of-season parade and public celebrations are expected to take place the day after the final match. For real-time updates, the brief advises following Manchester City’s official channels for the formal club statement and for details about the parade.

Putting it another way, the immediate timeline is clear. This week’s matches are played with Guardiola in charge. A formal announcement is expected on Sunday according to the reports. The following day, club celebrations are expected to double as a farewell in Manchester. Those steps will provide the sequence the club and supporters will use to move from announcement to send-off.

What you should watch for this weekend is straightforward. The confirmation from the club, the tone of Guardiola's statement, and the way City frame succession will determine whether the season ends as a clear handover or as a more ambiguous break. The fixtures themselves will be watched both for sporting consequences and for moments of tribute to a manager who has reshaped the club.

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A formal announcement is expected on Sunday, with Manchester City’s end-of-season celebrations to follow after the final match.

This article was created with AI assistance.