Guardiola farewell turns City parade into celebration tinged with heartache

MANCHESTER, May 25 : Manchester City's trophy parade and after-party on Monday blended celebration with sentiment, as fans honoured a season of success and said goodbye to Pep Guardiola.

A day after Guardiola's final game in charge after a trophy-laden decade, thousands lined the streets in searing 31 degrees Celsius heat and clouds of sky-blue confetti, climbing street lights and crowding every vantage point for a glimpse of the Spaniard who had defined an era. 

The League Cup and FA Cup trophies captured this season gleamed atop the open-top buses, but it was the 55-year-old Guardiola - waving and smiling - who drew the loudest roars.

"I've been going to City for about 10 years, since I was six, since Pep joined," said 16-year-old Hadley Partridge, dressed in a Rodri shirt. 

"I love Pep, and obviously don't want to see him go."

Asked how his departure felt, the teenager did not hesitate.

"Devastated. I wanted him to stay for 10 more years to be fair, get every trophy," Partridge said.

For Lisa and Steve Evans, whose family have been season ticket holders for more than 20 years, Guardiola's departure was more than the end of a glittering era, it resonated across generations.

"Devastated," the couple said in unison.

"Our two sons (Jack, 31, and Joe, 26) were crying at (Sunday's) game because Pep is leaving," Steve said. 

"Many tears, a knot in your throat," Lisa said.

If Guardiola's exit brought sadness, it also underscored the depth of his legacy. 

"He changed football in England," Steve said. "And his work ethic, he never stops."

"It's his passion, isn't it?" Lisa added. "I think he genuinely just loves football, I don't think it's about the money."

Atop the sky-blue buses, the players who had carried that philosophy forward soaked