Guardiola addressed a packed Etihad Stadium after his side's 2-1 loss to Aston Villa – his 593rd and final match as City boss. 

Antoine Semenyo's goal put Guardiola – and stalwarts Bernardo Silva and John Stones, who both played their final matches as City players – on course for a perfect send-off.

A double from Ollie Watkins after the break put Europa League champion Villa in front, and Phil Foden saw a potential 90th-minute equaliser controversially chalked off after a narrow offside call.

Nonetheless, the defeat did not prevent emotional scenes at the Etihad after full-time, with Guardiola, Silva and Stones speaking to the home fans. 

"I'm so nervous right now," Guardiola said. "Why do you love me so much? Why do you do that to me? 

"I never imagined the amount of love. It has been an incredible, tremendous honour to be your manager for 10 years. Incredible emotions.

"My dad is here today in the stands, 95 years old – wow! Maybe he doesn't realise, but I'm pretty sure in many years this stand that looks really beautiful, the name of my family will be there. That is the hugest honour. 

City confirmed earlier this week that the Etihad's redeveloped North Stand will be named in honour of Guardiola.

"It is an immense honour my family will have for the rest of my life," Guardiola said. "The players don't know it, but I will be up there [in the Pep Guardiola Stand] controlling them!

"The players have a huge responsibility to continue these standards – hopefully they fight and fight and fight.  

"[The Etihad] is my home. Over the next years, wherever in the world, if you see me in the streets or here at the Etihad Stadium, if you are a City fan, come to me.  

"It has been a huge honour to represent this club. Every decision I took I thought was the best for this club. I love you so much. It has been fun." 

Guardiola leaves City as the club's most successful manager, and indeed, one of the most successful in the Premier League as a whole. 

He won 20 trophies with City, including six Premier Leagues, three FA Cups, five Carabao Cups and one Champions League, in addition to three Community Shields, one UEFA Super Cup and one Club World Cup. 

The Spaniard is also the only manager to win four English top-flight titles in a row, doing so between 2020-21 and 2023-24, and the only one to oversee a 100-point Premier League season (2017-2018). 

Though he lost out in the Premier League title race to Arsenal this season, Guardiola did manage to end his City tenure on a positive note, becoming the first manager to win both English domestic cups in the same season twice, having previously done so in 2018-2019.