How Will Manchester City Cope Without Pep Guardiola?

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 16: Head Coach Pep Guardiola of Manchester City after his sides 1-0 win during the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Manchester City on May 16, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images)

Getty Images

The rumours had grown for a number of weeks when it was widely reported on Monday that this would be Pep Guardiola’s final season as Manchester City manager. After 10 years in the job at the Etihad Stadium, one of the greatest managers in Premier League history will bid farewell to City and English soccer this summer.

Guardiola has defined an entire era of the sport. His influence has changed the game forever and so it’s difficult to envisage what the Premier League will be like without him. City will have a contingency plan in place, but how can it possibly ever replace someone of Guardiola’s status?

Enzo Maresca has reportedly been lined up to succeed Guardiola. The former Chelsea and Leicester City manager worked alongside Guardiola as a coach at Manchester City and has been out of work since departing Stamford Bridge earlier this season. Maresca is ready to step up as his mentor’s replacement.

However, Manchester City will surely suffer some sort of drop-off when Guardiola leaves. The 55-year-old is the most compelling character in the modern game. He has demonstrated his ability to rebuild teams, like he has with City’s squad over the last two seasons, and knows how to succeed at the elite level.

The power of personality has always been key to Guardiola’s success. Players want to play for him. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich has an aura that is unmatched at the top of the sport, something that contributes to how formidable Manchester City is to opposition teams.

This will surely change now that City is moving on from the Guardiola era. Not only is the club soon to be searching for a new manager, Hugo Viana has only been at the Etihad Stadium for a year. He is still getting to grips with things as Manchester City’s new sporting director. A lot of change is taking place within the club.

Of course, City has the resources to continue to compete at the top of English and European soccer. Nobody expects Manchester City to fall down the pecking order like Manchester United did after Sir Alex Ferguson’s exit. Nonetheless, the club is losing its guiding light. Guardiola illuminated everything.

Guardiola will depart City midway through a rebuild he started 18 months ago. Had he left at the end of last season, the Catalan could have been blamed for the state of the squad he would have handed over to his successor. Now, though, City is in a good place to enjoy success for years to come even if Guardiola is no longer in the dugout.