Revealed: Contractual clause included by Manchester City permits early Pep Guardiola exit | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola is permitted to walk away from Manchester City earlier than contracted, owing to a clause included in his Etihad Stadium agreement, it has been revealed.

The seismic revelation partners reports that former Etihad Stadium assistant Enzo Maresca has agreed to take the reins at the club, sending shockwaves through English football ahead of one of the most significant managerial transitions in recent memory.

While the public stance from the club hierarchy has consistently pointed toward the Catalan seeing out his contract until June 2027, the construction of contingency plans have been active behind the scenes.

Pep Guardiola’s monumental decade in Manchester has yielded an unparalleled era of dominance, including the historic 2023 Treble and securing four Premier League titles in a row at one stage, following a domestic quadruple, and a 100-point campaign in 2017/18.

However, the immense physical and mental toll of maintaining standards has seemingly accelerated his transition plans, whilst an acceptance from within that perhaps the current Manchester City squad is in a strong place to be moved forward.

Why Pep Guardiola can leave Man City early

Now, according to The Times’ Paul Hirst and Matt Lawton, it is revealed that Pep Guardiola has a clause in his Manchester City contract that allows him to leave the club one year early, with his deal running until the summer of 2027.

The report quotes one unnamed staff member within the Etihad Stadium, who describes the 55-year-old’s decision to leave as the “worst-kept secret in football”.

As for next steps from Manchester City’s side, it is suggested that the club had planned to make an official announcement next week regarding Guardiola’s future, but may now bring events forward.

It is detailed that staff who work for the club’s media department have had material prepared for the manager’s exit ‘for some time’, but had not yet been primed and positioned to schedule and release such content.

When will Man City decide to announce Guardiola’s exit?

Perhaps originally structured to be a meticulously managed celebration following the final whistle against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, Manchester City must now decide whether an immediate statement is required to maintain squad focus.

With a significant league fixture away at Bournemouth looming on Tuesday night, Guardiola will undoubtedly face a wall of intense questioning from the press that could disrupt their pursuit of Arsenal at the top of the table – now hanging by a thread with the Gunners just one win away from the league crown, or a dropping of points for City on the South Coast.

Manchester City have already announced that an end-of-season, open-top bus parade around the city centre will take place the day after the clash with Aston Villa, culminating in an iconic Co-op Live Arena ‘After Party’.