The news broke late last night that Pep Guardiola will leave his post as Manchester City manager at the end of this season. Oliver Holt broke the story for the Daily Mail. Pep Guardiola’s impending departure as City manager is the end of an era for the club. With the news confirmed that Guardiola is set to leave City, he leaves with a legacy of unparalleled success and dominance at the club, well established. Along the way, Pep Guardiola embraced everything associated with Manchester City and living in Manchester. At this time, all you can say as a Manchester City fan is thank you for the success and memories that Pep Guardiola has brought to City.
Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City with the goal of making the fans proud and he leaves having done that and so much more.
When Pep Guardiola first faced the media as Manchester City manager in the summer of 2016, his stated goal to make the City fans proud. Across his decade as manager at City, Guardiola far exceeded his goal. He firmly established his City team as arguably the most dominant force in English football history, winning 20 major trophies in a decade. Pep Guardiola’s side has won six Premier League titles, five Carabao Cups, three FA Cups, three FA Community Shields, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup before it was revamped.
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More than the trophies won by Pep Guardiola’s side, the way they played spoke volumes. Manchester City under Pep Guardiola played a relentless, possession-based style. It was thought that Pep Guardiola’s style of play couldn’t dominate English football. It did, in spectacular style. Also, Guardiola created a relentless City side that won four Premier League titles in a row, a feat that had never been achieved in English football before. Manchester City’s treble win in 2022-23 was a testament to Pep Guardiola and his team’s relentless nature. As was the domestic quadruple they claimed in the 2018-19 season. Also Pep Guardiola’s side hit the 100 point mark in the 2017-18 season as they romped to the first league title under Guardiola. These accolades, and countless others, speak to the relentless winning machine that Pep Guardiola created at Manchester City—one that will likely never be seen again.
Along the way, Pep Guardiola embraced everything associated with City and Manchester.
During his decade in charge of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola became the face of the club. The City hierarchy created the ideal environment for Guardiola to work in. Pep Guardiola, alongside his players and staff, maximised everything available to them. The 20 major trophies City claimed is a testament to this.
Also, along the way, Pep Guardiola embraced everything about Manchester City the club and Manchester itself. As the face of the club, Guardiola always took up the fight for his club, whether that was in the face of the infamous ‘115’ or any other slight aimed at his club. Pep Guardiola was there to defend his team and his club. Over the past decade, Guardiola has also embraced his home. He will always call Manchester and Manchester City home. That shows just how much Guardiola has enjoyed being City manager and a part of Manchester itself.
With Pep Guardiola set to leave City, all you can say is thank you to Pep for everything.
With the end of Pep Guardiola’s reign as Manchester City manager now in sight, all you can do is say thank you to Pep Guardiola for everything he has done for the club. Thanks for each and every trophy won, and every achievement that scarcely seemed possible when he took over. Thank you for establishing City as the dominant force in English football, and thank you for leaving City in a stronger place than it was when he arrived as manager in 2016.
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But more than that, thanks, Pep, for being you and doing it your way. As a Manchester City fan first and foremost, it may never be as good again as it has been for the past decade. Your team gave us the ride and memories of a lifetime. It is one that will never be forgotten, and Pep Guardiola’s achievements will live forever in English football and at Manchester City.
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