Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho pen emotional Manchester City farewell messages to Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Former Manchester City captains Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho have sent heartfelt tributes to Pep Guardiola ahead of his final game in charge of the club on Sunday.

Both midfielders played central roles in the most successful period in Manchester City‘s history under Guardiola – Ilkay Gundogan across two separate spells at the club and Fernandinho across six years that encompassed five Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League.

Their messages, posted on Instagram in the hours following Friday’s confirmation of Guardiola’s exit, reflect the profound personal impact the Catalan has had on those who have worked closest to him.

The tributes add to an outpouring of emotion from across world football since the news of Guardiola’s departure was confirmed, with City also announcing that the North Stand at the Etihad Stadium will be renamed The Pep Guardiola Stand in his permanent honour.

Gundogan: He made me a better player and a better person

Gundogan’s tribute was among the most personal and detailed to emerge since Friday’s announcement, speaking to a relationship that extended far beyond the training ground.

“Pep, what can I say? Where do I start? It’s difficult to truly describe the impact Pep has had, not only on Manchester City as a football club, but on everything around it as well. The trophies and achievements speak for themselves. But what made him special was always much bigger than winning,” the German wrote.

“For me personally, he was never just a manager. He was a mentor, a leader and also a friend. From the very first day we worked together, he challenged me to see football differently. Every detail mattered.

“Every meter on the pitch had a purpose. There were moments when his intensity pushed all of us to our limits mentally and physically — but looking back, that obsession with perfection is exactly what made his teams so extraordinary.

“What many people don’t see from the outside is the human side of Pep. Beyond football, he is incredibly humble, thoughtful and someone who genuinely cares about the people around him. Over the years, I was lucky enough to experience that side of him very closely. He made me a better player, but also a better person.

“When I look back on my career one day, my time working with Pep will always be one of the defining chapters of my journey. Man City without Pep will never be the same again. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, my family, the football club, the community and Manchester as a whole. Looking forward to seeing you at the game on Sunday!”

Gundogan’s description of Guardiola as “a mentor, a leader and also a friend” echoes what Bernardo Silva told BBC Sport after the FA Cup final that he hoped the two of them could one day meet for dinner as friends.

It is a consistent theme among those who have been closest to Guardiola: the football is extraordinary, but it is the human being behind it that leaves the deepest mark.

Fernandinho: He changed the way football is understood

Fernandinho’s tribute took a broader view, reflecting on Guardiola’s legacy not just as a City manager but as one of the defining figures in the modern history of football.

“For six years, I had the privilege of working alongside Pep Guardiola. And throughout my entire journey in football, I have rarely seen someone capable of transforming the game the way he has,” the Brazilian wrote.

“Pep didn’t just build winning teams. He changed the way football is understood, played, and experienced. He made players see spaces that previously did not exist, raised the standard of daily demands, and created a culture of excellence that impacted everyone around him.

“Ten years at Manchester City represent far more than a successful era. They represent a chapter that becomes a permanent part of the history of the club, the city, and modern football itself.

“But perhaps the greatest legacy lies in the people. In the players who evolved under his leadership. In the professionals whose careers were shaped by working alongside him. In the mindsets he helped transform.

“Thank you for everything, Mister. For the lessons, the trust, the vision, and the relentless pursuit of greatness. May the next chapters of your journey continue to match the greatness of the story you have built so far.”

What does Guardiola’s departure mean for Manchester City?

Sunday’s farewell against Aston Villa will bring down the curtain on one of the most extraordinary managerial tenures in the history of English football.

Six Premier League titles, the Champions League, multiple FA Cups and Carabao Cups – and behind every one of them, the human connections that Gundogan and Fernandinho describe so vividly in their tributes.

Enzo Maresca has been chosen by City as Guardiola’s successor on an initial three-year deal, inheriting a squad that the outgoing manager has spent a decade building into world football’s benchmark. As Fernandinho put it, the legacy lies in the people. And on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium, those people will give him the send-off he deserves.