Pep Guardiola is set to step down as manager of Manchester City at the end of the 2025/26 season after a historic ten-year spell at the club.
However, Guardiola will not completely leave the football empire he helped create.
Reports indicate he will move into a senior ambassadorial and advisory position within City Football Group.
The move signals the end of one of football’s greatest managerial eras while also ensuring Guardiola’s influence remains inside the wider CFG network.
The Man Who Changed Manchester City
When Guardiola arrived from FC Bayern Munich in 2016, Manchester City were already successful domestically, but they had not yet reached the level of Europe’s biggest football dynasties.
Pep completely transformed the club.
His style of football focused on:
intelligent movement,
possession dominance,
aggressive pressing,
tactical discipline,
and technical perfection.
Over time, City became one of the most feared and consistent teams in world football.
Under Guardiola, City reportedly won:
six Premier League titles,
multiple domestic cups,
and the club’s first UEFA Champions League trophy.
He also led City to:
a historic treble,
a record 100-point Premier League season,
and four consecutive league titles — something no English club had achieved before.
For many football fans, Guardiola did not simply win trophies. He reshaped how Manchester City play, think, recruit players, and develop talent.
Why Guardiola Is Leaving
The decision to leave is believed to be personal rather than football-related.
Guardiola has spent nearly two decades managing at the highest level with:
FC Barcelona,
Bayern Munich,
and Manchester City.
That level of pressure can become exhausting.
What Is City Football Group?
Many fans know Manchester City, but fewer understand how massive City Football Group has become globally.
CFG is a football ownership network that controls or has shares in clubs around the world, including:
New York City FC,
Melbourne City FC,
Girona FC,
Mumbai City FC,
and several others across Europe, Asia, and America.
The idea behind CFG is to create a shared football identity across all clubs.
That includes:
scouting systems,
coaching methods,
player development,
sports science,
and recruitment structures.
Guardiola’s football philosophy has already heavily influenced this system over the past decade.