- Noel Gallagher looks back at the centurions’ season
- Gallagher on Pep Guardiola’s relentlessness
- Man City’s got a serious transition coming in
The departure of Pep Guardiola from Manchester City continues to spark reactions across the football world and beyond. One person hit hard by the news is Oasis songwriter and lifelong City supporter Noel Gallagher, as he looked back at the ‘centurions’ title win, reflecting on Guardiola’s impact.
Guardiola and Gallagher have shared a close friendship ever since the musician conducted Pep’s first-ever Manchester City interview back in 2016.
Over the years, the two became almost symbolic figures of this dominant City era, with Oasis songs like Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back in Anger turning into soundtrack staples during title celebrations.
Following the confirmation of Guardiola’s departure after 10 years at the club, Gallagher hailed him as a genius and admitted the news felt like a massive emotional blow. He even warned City fans that the near-certainty of silverware under Guardiola is now over.
Noel Gallagher hails Pep Guardiola’s legacy as eternal
On the eve of the 2017/18 season, no City fan could have predicted even half of what was about to come. And Gallagher was no different. So, he just texted his friend Guardiola a simple formal ‘Good Luck’.
Now, speaking to Stan Sport, Gallagher revealed the response he received from the Spaniard.
‘You can’t f****** say that, Pep!’ 😂
— Stan Sport Football (@StanSportFC) May 22, 2026
Oasis superstar Noel Gallagher reflects on how Pep Guardiola changed everything at Man City.
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The singer shared, “I’ll never forget it. He said, ‘Training’s going great. I’m pretty sure we’re going to win the league.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, you can’t f***ing say that.’ And what happened? We got 100 points.
“How he kept them on the boil to get that 100 points is a real testament to man management, keeping a team honest and real right to the last kick of the season.
“When we scored that goal at Southampton, I was like, wow. I think his legacy is by far bigger and longer-lasting than any manager that’s come before him.”
Guardiola brought in the revolution with him
When Guardiola arrived in Manchester in 2016, there was genuine skepticism over whether his possession-heavy style could survive the chaos and physicality of English football.
Early signs did little to quiet the noise either, especially after City were torn apart 4-2 by Leicester City in his first season despite dominating possession. But instead of English football changing Guardiola, Guardiola ended up reshaping English football itself.
From short goal-kicks and building from the back to inverted full-backs and position-based football, his influence trickled far beyond the Premier League and into lower divisions and youth coaching setups.
Obviously, he had a stacked resume before setting foot in Manchester with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. But no one expected even someone like him to turn the Sky Blues’ fortunes around. And if 6 Premier League titles didn’t prove his greatness, it was the Champions League trophy that did!
What’s next for Manchester City?
All reports signal Enzo Maresca taking the reins. And it’s a hard pill to swallow. Nothing against Maresca, it’s just that his predecessor is one of the greatest managers, if not the greatest, in modern-day football.
Like Gallagher puts it, “Being a City fan to me was always about the struggle. Thankfully, not anymore.” 20 trophies in a decade from just 25 major trophies in the club’s 136-year history. That’s not a fluke.
And then, the fact that Maresca’s time at Chelsea didn’t end on a high note doesn’t exactly help the Italian’s case. But that’s the cycle every football fan must go through.
Right now, the only hope Cityzens can have is that the club doesn’t slip into a cycle of derailment. So far, the signs don’t suggest that. Guardiola is still leaving behind a strong foundational squad for his successor to build on and achieve success.
