Rabat – Pep Guardiola will step down as Manchester City’s manager this summer, with the club confirming his final game in charge will be against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Since arriving at the club in July 2016, the Catalan has spent a transformative decade in charge. He leaves as the club’s most successful manager ever, with 20 major trophies to his name, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown.
To celebrate Guardiola’s legacy, City’s newly expanded North Stand will be named in his honor and will fully open for the first time during the season’s final match against Europa League winners Aston Villa.
A statue of the 55-year-old manager will also be commissioned and placed on the walkway leading to the stand.
Reflecting on his journey with the club on Friday during his final pre-match press conference, Guardiola struggled to fully capture his emotions as he expressed his deep gratitude for his time in Manchester.
“Yeah, really satisfied, I don’t know the right words. Satisfied, happy, proud. It’s been the experience of my life I would say,” the Catalan manager said.
He added: “10 years is a lot, lot of time and I think the Club needs a new manager and new energy with these incredible players that we have now, they’ll start to write another chapter.”
Even though he is stepping down as manager, Guardiola will maintain his close relationship with the City Football Group. He is set to take on a new position as a Global Ambassador for the organization.
In this new role, he will provide technical advice to various clubs across the group while collaborating on specific football projects.
