Pep Guardiola expected to leave Manchester City at end of season

The managerial great is reportedly expected to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.

Manchester City insist Guardiola still has a contract for next season and remain hopeful he will stay on as manager.

However, preparations for his expected departure are already underway at the club, with several staff members believing he will leave.

It is also understood that members of the squad expect Guardiola to depart after the final game of the season against Aston Villa, while the club has started considering how best to honour the reign of their legendary manager.

Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who previously worked under Guardiola at City, is said to be the leading candidate to replace the 55-year-old.

During his 10 years at Manchester City, Guardiola has guided the club to 17 major trophies — and 20 overall — including six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, three FA Cups, and five EFL Cups.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest managers in football history, Guardiola could still finish his remarkable spell at the Etihad with a seventh Premier League crown, having already secured the FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season.

Speculation surrounding Guardiola’s future has intensified in recent months, with repeated questions about his tenure raised during press conferences.

When asked on Friday whether the FA Cup final trip to Wembley would be his final visit there as City manager, Guardiola replied: “No way,” reminding reporters he still has “one more year” left on his contract.

In an interview with BBC Sport ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final, he was again asked if he would remain at the club next season. He answered: “Yeah.”The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager added: “I am here, I have a contract.”

The same issue came up again during Monday’s press conference ahead of Tuesday’s clash against Bournemouth.

After being asked about Andoni Iraola’s future at Bournemouth and whether he had reflected on his own farewell, Guardiola sighed and responded: “Next. So many times — I have one more year.”