What Happened
MANCHESTER, England — The guard of honor he gave so many others over the years finally came back to him, and Pep Guardiola could barely hold it together.
His final game in charge of Manchester City ended in a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, a defeat that somehow felt beside the point on a day charged with farewell. The tears started well before the final whistle. Two of his most loyal servants, Bernardo Silva and John Stones, were given guards of honor when substituted in the second half. The n it was his turn.
"This is the man who changed everything," the stadium announcer said as Guardiola walked onto the pitch in khakis and a cream T-shirt, the home faithful chanting "10 more years" in stubborn, hopeful defiance.
Guardiola addressed the crowd from the center circle, fighting back emotions.
Why It Matters
"I never could have imagined the amount of love I've found," he said. "It is an incredible, tremendous honor to be your manager, to be here 10 years."
The numbers behind his tenure are staggering: six Premier League titles, a first Champions League crown in 2023, a domestic treble that same year. City became the first team to win four consecutive English league titles and the first to amass 100 points in a single season in 2018. The following year the y claimed the domestic treble of league, FA Cup and League Cup — all in the same campaign.
This season delivered a domestic double of the English League Cup and FA Cup, but it wasn't enough. On Friday, Guardiola confirmed he could do no more.
"I will not miss it for a while," he said Sunday. "I feel deeply... it is the right decision."
What Comes Next
He joined City in the summer of 2016 and transformed the Abu Dhabi-owned club into the most dominant Premier League team of its generation. Now the club has honored him by naming its newly developed north stand after him. He will also take up a role as global ambassador.
Former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca, who won the Club World Cup last year, is the favorite to succeed him with an announcement possible in the coming week. Guardiola said he would call his successor to offer advice: "Be yourself... be free with your ideas and work a lot. Everything will be fine."
But that is for another day. This day belonged to the fans showing the ir appreciation — and the quiet acknowledgment that what just ended might never be matched.
"It's hard to describe. It's someone you don't actually know, but you feel like you do know," said City supporter Richard Wilbourn. "When I heard the news I got a bit emotional. What he's done for the club has been absolutely unreal."