Pep Guardiola to step down as Man City boss at end of season - ESPN

Pep Guardiola will step down as Manchester City manager this summer, the club confirmed on Friday.

The 55-year-old will take charge of his final game against Aston Villa on Sunday before bringing to an end his trophy-laden 10-year stay at the Etihad Stadium. City will rename their North Stand to The Pep Guardiola Stand and have commissioned a statue of him to be built, as tributes.

Guardiola has chosen to take advantage of a break clause in his contract — set to run until June 2027 — and leave a year early.

He will take up a role as global ambassador and will give technical advice to clubs within the City Football Group.

Guardiola departs having won 20 trophies as City boss, including six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, the Champions League and Club World Cup.

«Don't ask me the reasons I'm leaving,» he said. «There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it's my time. Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.

»This is a city built from work. From graft. You see it in the color of the bricks. From people who clocked in early, stayed late. The factories. The Pankhursts. The unions. The music. Simply the Industrial Revolution and how this changed the world. And I think I grew to understand that, and my teams did too.

— Premier League, Man City won't be the same after Guardiola
— Man United appoint Michael Carrick as permanent head coach
— Arteta didn't watch title-winning moment: 'I went home to BBQ'

«We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way. Our way.»

City pulled off a coup when they appointed Guardiola, widely regarded as the best coach of his generation, a decade ago.

Among