Manchester City To Honor Departing Pep Guardiola With A Statue And Named Stand

Manchester City have confirmed the expanded North Stand at the Etihad Stadium will be renamed the 'The Pep Guardiola Stand'. 

The club will also commission a statue for the departing manager following his historic spell in Manchester.

The announcement comes as a tribute to the Catalan’s decade of dominance in English football, during which he transformed the club into a global powerhouse and secured a trophy haul that has redefined the Premier League era. 

The stand will officially open for the first time during Guardiola’s final game in charge against Aston Villa on Sunday.

The redevelopment project, which began in late 2023, has added more than 7,000 seats and increased the stadium’s capacity to over 61,000. City also confirmed plans to commission a statue of Guardiola outside the newly-named stand. 

The Catalan will join club legends Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Agüero in being permanently recognized around the Etihad campus.

(Getty Images Sport)

Speaking during his press conference, Guardiola admitted he was touched by the gesture from the club as he prepares to leave Manchester after a hugely successful decade in charge.

"Khaldoon [Al Mubarak] called me this morning to say that the club took that decision," Guardiola said. "I have no words. I like the feeling that my vibe or my energy will be there forever. So I like that feeling."

Club owner Sheikh Mansour also praised Guardiola’s influence on and off the pitch, insisting his legacy stretches beyond the trophies won during his tenure.

"I said a long time ago that Manchester City should have the very best people at its disposal, both on and off the field. For ten years Pep has been the personification of that ambition," Mansour explained on the club's