Manchester City fans give verdict on Pep Guardiola exit and potential Enzo Maresca appointment | OneFootball

The majority of Manchester City fans believe it is the wrong time for manager Pep Guardiola to leave the club amid a formal announcement issued this week.

After serving a decade at the Etihad Stadium and becoming one of the most respected coaches in history, Manchester City confirmed that their greatest ever coach would be departing the club after Sunday’s final game of the season against Aston Villa.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach has changed the shape of the Premier League and how modern football is played as a whole – from goalkeepers playing as an extra defender to pushing full-backs up the pitch and into more central roles. 

Not only that, the 55-year-old has brought a staggering 20 trophies to east Manchester including six Premier League titles, a first-ever UEFA Champions League, three FA Cups and five League Cups. 

But despite having a contract running until the end of next season, former Manchester City Academy coach Enzo Maresca – who was Guardiola’s assistant during the Treble campaign in 2022/23 – is expected take the reins at the club from the 2026/27 campaign onwards.

What do Man City fans think of Guardiola’s exit?

The expected move has divided opinion amongst the club’s fans looking ahead to life without Pep Guardiola and from 510 supporters who were questioned, 40 per cent said that it is the wrong time for him to leave the club, according to a YouGov poll. 

Still, 35 per cent claimed the opposite, believing it is in fact the correct time for Guardiola to pull the curtain on his managerial duties in the Premier League, with the remaining 25 per cent being undecided and stating they are not sure. 

What is interesting is the feedback found by the poll on the potential appointment of Maresca, who would need to fill big shoes in his first job since quitting Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day – only six months after winning the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

Do Man City fans support Enzo Maresca’s appointment?

As it turns out, 40 per cent of City fans strongly support the idea of having Maresca take over from Guardiola in the summer, where similar transfer targets will likely be met, including the signing of Nottingham Forest‘s £100 million star Elliot Anderson. 

For City fans, it would be ideal to see a boost in standards, too. Despite looking doubtful in the majority of domestic and European competition this season, Guardiola has managed to thrust a domestic double with Carabao Cup and FA Cup final wins against Arsenal and Chelsea.

Only nine per cent of supporters believe Enzo Maresca would not be a good fit, strongly opposing the appointment of the Italian, while 17 per cent remain unsure. 

A certainty for City fans is that they have shown optimism over the prospect of more silverware next season; in domestic competition, 74 per cent of supporters are ‘very’ or ‘fairly confident’ that City will lift the FA Cup and/or the League Cup, while 69 per cent and 44 per cent think they can secure the Premier League title and Champions League respectively.