Goodbye, Pep.
After a transformative decade of trophy after trophy, mesmerizing play and tactical shifts, the Guardiola era – as it will undoubtedly be known in years to come – is over in English football.
The final farewell came on Monday evening when the sports and music aristocracy – including basketball great Michael Jordan and Oasis mastermind Noel Gallagher – gathered in person and on video to pay tribute to the outgoing Manchester City manager in a parade through the city centre, followed by an after-party.
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There were tears. There was laughter. There were so many memories.
However, there was an elephant in the room, one that may fade into the background in the coming months as the World Cup takes center stage, but will emerge before the start of next season: what next for City, Guardiola and, indeed, English football as a whole?
These could be tough times for the dominant team of the past decade.
First, some housework. The team needs a new manager and the frontrunner is reportedly Enzo Maresca, the former Chelsea coach who was Guardiola’s assistant at City in the treble-winning season of 2022-2023.
The sooner a replacement is hired, the sooner they can build a team of players in their image. It will already be without John Stones and Bernardo Silva, the stalwarts who have been confirmed to be leaving.
However, the modern Man City was essentially built to accommodate Guardiola, ever since Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain – two officials close to Guardiola in their Barcelona days – joined from the Catalan giants in 2012 to help shape the direction of an ambitious English club taken over by Abu Dhabi four years earlier.
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What is the strategy now in this post-Guardiola world when the center is gone?
Much may depend on the outcome of City’s lawsuit with the Premier League, after the club was sued by the league in February 2023 for more than a hundred financial breaches, including providing misleading information about its sources of income.
The case was heard by an independent commission between September and December 2024, but no ruling has yet been made.
City have always denied the allegations. The punishment could be as extreme as expulsion from the top flight, in which case City’s world will be turned upside down overnight.
This is the moment rival teams have been waiting for. Finally, Guardiola – a coach almost certain to win trophies – is gone and the playing field suddenly seems more level.
With City on the move, this could be the time for Arsenal to build a dynasty of sorts under Mikel Arteta, who has built a strong and strong squad and lifted the burden of expectations on the team by leading it to the Premier League title.
“My job, and that of everyone at the club, will now be to raise those standards to the next level and achieve much more,” said Arteta, “because I believe we are capable of doing that.”
It remains to be seen how Xabi Alonso reshapes Chelsea and how the third season of Arne Slot’s turbulent Liverpool career goes, after winning the title one season and narrowly reaching the Champions League the next.
Then of course there is Manchester United, historically the biggest team in England, but without a Premier League title for thirteen years. Can United under Michael Carrick step out of his neighbour’s shadow?
The departure of not only Guardiola but also Mohamed Salah after nine years at Liverpool means two of the biggest names in world football are no longer in England.
Take away City striker Erling Haaland: could the mighty Premier League be missing a real star?
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Even the profile of coaches has fallen compared to a decade ago, when Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and Antonio Conte entered the fray.
Stylistically, where does the English game go now without Guardiola? His possession-based approach – where attacks started with the goalkeeper or defenders – was copied across the country, from children’s teams in the parks to teams in the professional leagues. Will that style survive?
This recently completed season saw a shift towards a more back-to-basics approach, with free set pieces, long throws and long balls from goalkeepers becoming commonplace in an era when teams’ schedules are so packed that coaches have little time to develop their ideas on the training pitch.
Arsenal mastered that new style and became champions for the first time in 22 years. Maybe it will become the norm and the Guardiola ball will disappear.
As for the man himself, Guardiola’s primary intention is to rest and recharge after 13 consecutive years at the top of European football – with Bayern Munich and then City – following his year-long sabbatical after Barcelona.
“I need to take a step back,” he said, “I won’t be coaching for a while.”
Guardiola said he wants to spend time with his children and his father Valenti, who is in his 90s, meaning a return to Barcelona is very likely. He will certainly travel and, in his words, “learn to live a different life.”
However, that will not be the end of Guardiola in football.
For starters, he has taken on an ambassadorial role within the City Football Group, the umbrella company that owns Man City, so expect to see him in the stands at some City matches. He is also a committed Barcelona supporter, so will no doubt be attending matches at the Camp Nou.
In terms of coaching, Guardiola has no plans at the moment, but he could seize the opportunity to coach internationally.
Could that lie with the England national team, Guardiola was asked last week? He made short work of it.
«We’ll see what happens,» his answer ended.
Published on May 26, 2026
