Man City: Guardiola ‘decided to quit’ for three reasons as ‘almost certain’ next move revealed
A new report has revealed three reasons why Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has ‘decided to quit’ the Premier League side.
On Tuesday evening, multiple notable outlets reported that Guardiola will leave Man City at the end of this season, while it has since emerged that former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will be his successor.
It was initially assumed that Guardiola would leave Man City at the end of last season, but he surprised everyone by putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract until 2027.
It was widely considered that he did this to ensure Man City could implement a suitable succession plan, and they would have been in a mess if he departed at the end of last season.
The 2024/25 campaign was a rare poor season for Man City under Guardiola, but he has done a remarkable job of rebuilding them over the past three transfer windows, and they are now set up to challenge for the Premier League title over the next few years.
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This season, Man City have arguably surpassed expectations by running Arsenal all the way in the title race, while they have done the double by winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Guardiola has remained coy when asked about his future this season, and his decision has remained under wraps until the final week of the 2025/26 campaign, but he will not be given a huge sendoff in the next few days.
The Telegraph are now reporting that there are three main reasons why Guardiola ‘decided to quit’, with it claimed that ‘Guardiola invited an opposition manager into his Etihad Stadium office during last season and told him he wanted to leave Manchester City but could not do it yet’.
Guardiola felt inclined to stay to give Man City time to steady the ship following the exit of former sporting director Txiki Begiristain, though he ‘told his colleague he was tired and needed a rest’.
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Also, he is departing now becuase ‘he also liked the idea of a round 10 years at City’ and ‘can leave on a high note’, with this season’s double giving Guardiola a ‘sense of relief’.
‘It will almost certainly be international football…’
Regarding his next step, the same report claims Guardiola will turn to international football for his next job.
The report explains:
‘The expectation from those close to Guardiola is that it will almost certainly be international football. A new frontier. There are two nations that fascinate Guardiola. He grew up mesmerised by the power of the yellow Brazilian jersey and is fascinated not just by their football culture, but the fact that they have not won the World Cup since 2002.
‘But Carlo Ancelotti, perhaps wisely, perhaps considering what might happen, has renewed his contract with the Selecao, even before this summer’s tournament. As has Thomas Tuchel, whose contract extension with England takes him up to the 2028 European Championship. The Football Association did make contact with Guardiola before hiring Tuchel and received some encouragement. But not now. That is one for the future, possibly.’
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