A big news bombshell was dropped on Monday night- Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City, at the end of the season. His final game will be on Championship Sunday, at home to Aston Villa. He’ll lead Man City into AFC Bournemouth tomorrow night, and he’ll do so likely needing to win that match in order to keep his side alive in the Premier League title race.
It is still possible for Pep to leave City with a title clinching victory this weekend. It is possible that City could be eliminated from title contention by Sunday.
Pep Guardiola QUITS Man City: Legendary manager to leave club at end of the season after FA Cup triumph at Wembley https://t.co/hjXEJxyJv7
— Daily Mail Sport (@MailSport) May 18, 2026
Current Premier League Title Race Standing
Arsenal- 79 Points, 36 Matches Played, +42 Goal Differential Tie-Breaker, 68 Goals Scored Second Tiebreaker
Manchester City- 77 Points, 36 Matches Played, +43 Goal Differential Tie-Breaker, 75 Goals Scored Second Tiebreaker
Manchester City Team News vs AFC Bournemouth: go here
However, no matter what the results are on the pitch, Pep is leaving, on his own terms, with Enzo Maresca in line to replace him.
And as you can see from the two photos we included so far, Pep Guardiola and Enzo Maresca are pretty much doppelgangers. The Pep exit news is being reported everywhere right now, with the Daily Mail having it first. The Mail exclusive reports that:
“It is thought that City have begun to tell their sponsor partners that the announcement is imminent. The news has also been an open secret among some of those close to Guardiola.”
No other names. Only Enzo Maresca for Man City job when Pep Guardiola leaves. 🔵🇮🇹 https://t.co/yS0sIEtXKs
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 18, 2026
Guardiola, 55, led City to 20 trophies during his decade in charge, including six Premier League titles and the club’s first ever Champions League triumph. According to world transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, 1. it was completely up to Guardiola when he wanted to leave and 2. Maresca was the only candidate that was ever in the consideration to replace him.
Maresca was sacked by Chelsea in mid-season. He was hired away from Leicester City in the summer of 2025, and led Chelsea to the ’25 Club World Cup title.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.