Guardiola Confirms Exit to City Squad as Maresca Emerges as Top Managerial Target

Pep Guardiola has personally addressed Manchester City‘s dressing room, confirming his intention to step down following the club’s final Premier League fixture of the campaign — a Sunday encounter with Aston Villa. The announcement came after news of his departure broke publicly on Monday evening, forcing the manager’s hand before he was ready to go public.

An Unwanted Revelation Ahead of a Crucial Run-In

Guardiola had been hoping to keep his decision private for as long as possible, wary of creating unnecessary distractions during a pivotal stretch of the season. The story broke while he was preparing for the midweek fixture at Bournemouth, prompting him to address the squad directly. City must win that game to preserve their title ambitions heading into the final day, with Arsenal having moved five points ahead after defeating Burnley. Guardiola will leave after ten years at the club, with a year still left on his deal.

Manchester City have settled on Enzo Maresca as Guardiola’s successor, with a three-year contract reportedly agreed in principle. The deal is not yet complete, however, as Maresca’s exit from Chelsea — where he resigned on New Year’s Day — left the London club holding his compensation rights. Maresca departed Stamford Bridge without severance, meaning Chelsea are entitled to seek a fee, the size of which has not been made public but is understood to be considerable.

The roots of Maresca’s troubled tenure at Chelsea stretch back to last summer’s Club World Cup triumph, after which he sought a new contract that was never offered. Friction grew when the club declined to address a defensive gap left by Levi Colwill‘s pre-season knee injury, and Maresca reportedly leveraged interest from City and Juventus in an attempt to force the issue. The final rupture came after a 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth on 30 December; Maresca did not appear for his post-match press obligations and, according to available information, met with club officials that evening to signal his intention to quit. Liam Rosenior was brought in but was dismissed the following month, with Callum McFarlane serving as caretaker until Xabi Alonso arrives this summer on a four-year deal. Maresca intends to bring Willy Caballero — his assistant at both Leicester and Chelsea, and a former City goalkeeper — to the club as part of his backroom team.