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End of an era: Pep Guardiola’s golden decade at Manchester City comes to a close

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Pep Guardiola is reportedly preparing to step down as Manchester City manager at the end of the week, marking the conclusion of a historic and highly successful era in English football.

 According to British media reports, the Spanish tactician will oversee City’s final two Premier League fixtures against Bournemouth and Aston Villa before officially wrapping up his nearly ten-year tenure at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola’s expected exit came just days after he guided Manchester City to another major trophy, defeating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to win the FA Cup.

The victory further cemented Guardiola’s legacy at City, where he transformed the club into a dominant force in English and European football since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2016.

Under the 55-year-old tactician, Manchester City won six Premier League titles, multiple domestic cups and the club’s first UEFA Champions League title as part of a historic treble-winning campaign in the 2022/23 season.

Statistics from the Guardiola era underline the scale of his impact at City.

According to club and football statistics records, Guardiola has managed over 590 matches for Manchester City, winning more than 410 games with a win percentage above 70 per cent.

His teams scored more than 1,400 goals during the period while capturing 19 major trophies.

In the Premier League alone, City recorded more than 225 victories under Guardiola across his first eight seasons, scoring 755 league goals and maintaining the best defensive record in England during that span.

The Catalan also led City to an unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles and delivered a historic continental treble that included the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.

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Guardiola’s attacking philosophy, possession-based football and relentless pursuit of excellence reshaped Manchester City into one of the most feared clubs in world football.

Despite recent speculation over his future, Guardiola had publicly insisted only days ago that he would remain at City until the expiration of his contract in 2027.

However, reports now suggest preparations are already underway for a managerial transition, with former City assistant and ex-Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca among the leading candidates tipped to succeed him.

Guardiola’s departure, if confirmed, would mark the end of a transformative chapter not only for Manchester City but also for the Premier League, where his influence revolutionised tactics, standards and modern football management.

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