Pep Guardiola points the way for Manchester City to prosper after he leaves his post | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola will take charge of his final game as Manchester City manager today when City take on Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium. Come the final whistle of City’s final Premier League match of the 2025-26 season, a new era will begin at the club—one that will have an entirely different feel without Pep Guardiola in the dugout. Speaking yesterday, Guardiola pointed the way forward for his club. They cannot copy and paste what Guardiola has done, or expect their next manager to be Pep Guardiola. The outgoing City manager has pointed the way for his club to prosper in their new era, as he wouldn’t provide any input on Manchester City’s search for their next manager.

Pep Guardiola won’t help Manchester City find his successor as he believes that it wouldn’t work.

Speaking on Friday during his pre-game press conference ahead of his final game as Manchester City manager against Aston Villa, Pep Guardiola was asked if he would have any input in who will succeed him as City manager. Guardiola revealed that he wouldn’t have any input on who takes over from him. He explained: “It doesn’t work to copy and paste in this kind of job. You have to be unique, natural and yourself and the new manager will be himself. The moment it starts to be a copy for another one … Everyone is everyone. It has to be like that. And that’s why everything is going to be good.”

If, as expected, that Enzo Maresca takes over from Guardiola he needs time, and space, to be himself.

Pep Guardiola has pointed the way for Manchester City to prosper once he steps aside. Guardiola has had no input on who will be Manchester City’s next manager. There is nothing to gain from Guardiola helping City in this regard. His shadow will always loom over City. Guardiola’s legacy is such that it will always be a reference point for whatever City do next to be compared to.

It is expected that Enzo Maresca will be Manchester City’s next manager. David Ornstein has previously reported for The Athletic that Maresca has already begun preparing for life as City manager. Maresca needs clear air to be himself. He doesn’t need to be regarded as Pep Guardiola’s hand-picked replacement. That would place too great a burden on the Italian manager. Maresca needs time to grow into the role, and he also needs to be allowed to be himself as a manager. That way, Enzo Maresca can grow into the role as Manchester City manager rather than be expected to be Pep Guardiola or Guardiola-lite.

Pep Guardiola said he wouldn’t provide any input on who will succeed him as Manchester City manager. That is the way forward for City. They need Enzo Maresca to be himself when he takes over from Guardiola. He has the best opportunity to do that if he can get to work free from Pep Guardiola’s presence.