Manchester or Pep Guardiola have not yet confirmed it, but word in the world of football is that on Sunday at Etihad Stadium will be Guardiola last match as City manager against Aston Villa.
He says goodbye after 10 unforgettable years, 20 trophies, one UEFA Champions League title, six Premier League crowns, five League Cups, three FA Cups, three Community Shields, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup.
Rumor has it that the leading candidate to step into his role is Maresca.
The 46-year-old worked with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. He was Guardiola’s assistant during City’s treble-winning 2022–23 season. After leaving City in 2023, Maresca became manager of Leicester City and helped the club win promotion back to the Premier League in his first season.
He joined Chelsea on July 1, 2024, on a five-year contract and won the Club World Cup and Conference League, while also helping the team qualify for the Champions League.
Former English footballer and Football analyst Jamie Carragher says Manchester City should stop with the mind games and release the statement already so fans can make peace with Pep leaving.
“I don’t suppose Man City or Pep Guardiola can do anything about the timing. They have to let the club know, the next guy coming in, we hear it’s Maresca, he’d have to have information about this.
“He would have staff who he’d have to speak to. The closer it gets to the end of the season, there’s more people who know. Eventually, it comes out.
“This wouldn’t have happened overnight you imagine. It would’ve been the last few weeks, maybe couple of months. There’s just too many people involved for it not to come out in the end.”
Manchester City still have a chance of winning the Premier League title, even though the race is going down to the final matches of the season. City have two important games left against Bournemouth and Aston Villa, and they must win both to keep their hopes alive.
But, they also need Arsenal to drop points against Crystal Palace by either losing or drawing.
If that happens and City win their remaining matches, the title race could be decided on goal difference, which may work in City’s favour because of their strong attacking record this season.
The pressure is now on both teams as the Premier League season heads toward a dramatic finish.
