Pep Guardiola is about to end his career at Manchester City, according to multiple outlets in England. The news is not entirely surprising as it had been rumoured for months that he was leaving sooner rather than later, but it still come as a shock for Manchester City fans, days after winning another trophy, the FA Cup final where they beat Chelsea... and also as a shock for the club, which maintain Guardiola has a contract for next season and are "hopeful" he will remain as manager, according to BBC Sport.
The information, still unconfirmed by either the club or the 55-year-old manager, comes from sources within the club, from staff to players, who are anticipating his departure after the final game of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday, where he will likely get a tribute, regardless of whether they end up winning the league or not.
Guardiola would leave Manchester City after ten years and 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles, the Champions League, three FA Cups and five EFL Cups.
Enzo Maresca to Manchester City, Guardiola to Italy?
BBC Sport adds that Enzo Maresca, sacked earlier this season from Chelsea, and who worked under Guardiola at City, is the front-runner to replace him. Guardiola has sometimes been linked to the Italian national team, in search of a new coach after the World Cup disaster.
During interviews last week, Guardiola implied that he was staying at the club another year and would fulfil his contract, so this is a drastic and sudden change, with barely enough time for club and players to mentally prepare for the departure of one of the greatest football managers of all time, all while still fighting for the Premier League title: after Arsenal's victory against Burnley on Monday, City needs to win the last two matches on Tuesday and Sunday and hope for a slip from their rivals.