- Guardiola reveals reason for announcing departure
- Looks ahead to Sunday’s game at Etihad Stadium
- Outlines wishes for emotional occasion
Pep Guardiola has explained why he made the decision to announce his exit before Manchester City’s final game of the season.
Despite what Guardiola has been saying in recent weeks, his mind was already made up that he would leave Man City.
This did not stop the manager from giving his all to the very end, lifting the FA Cup as recently as last weekend.
Unfortunately, Sunday’s match against Aston Villa will not be another success story, as Arsenal have already won the Premier League.
However, it will give Guardiola the chance to do something which he deems to be very important.
Pep Guardiola wants a proper goodbye
It would be nice for Guardiola to go out on a victory, but the result against Aston Villa is a secondary concern.
The most important thing for the 55-year-old is being able to bid his team farewell, in front of a record crowd at the Etihad Stadium.
And it is for this reason that Guardiola decided it was best to announce his departure before his final fixture at the club.
🗣️ "I want to say a proper goodbye, hug of all them [players and staff]
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 22, 2026
Pep Guardiola discusses managing his last game as Manchester City head coach against Aston Villa. pic.twitter.com/hmvqmIRJcz
He said in his pre-match press conference: “It’s not about when, it’s not today or tomorrow. You know at the time, you feel okay let’s do it. It’s not yesterday that it happened or one week ago.
“Of course we were in the competition and I wanted to be completely away from [thinking about leaving] because I need the players to be with me and me with them.
“At the moment, we cannot fight for anything else because it’s already achieved so it is the moment to say, okay I want to say a proper goodbye to my people on Sunday, I want to hug them on the pitch, that is why we announced it.”
The atmosphere will be electric on Sunday
Had Guardiola not made his announcement, there would likely have been a constant rendition of ‘one more year Guardiola’ circulating round the Etihad Stadium.
That, of course, will not be the case, but the City fans will be sure to make as much noise as possible as they show their appreciation to the best manager the club has ever known.
The Premier League title might be gone, but Guardiola has delivered another season where there has been plenty to celebrate.
City fans have had two brilliant days out at Wembley, and these are just a fraction of the many they have experienced under Guardiola’s reign.
John Stones and Bernardo Silva will be given their send-off too
Along with Guardiola, John Stones and Bernardo Silva will be bidding Man City farewell after long spells at the club.
Stones was one of Guardiola’s very first signings, while Silva arrived after one season, before the manager had won his first trophy with the Citizens.
Both these players have given their all for City, and the fact this is a combined goodbye will make Sunday a very special day indeed.
