On the eve of City's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium, which handed Arsenal the Premier League title, widespread reports suggested Guardiola had decided to call time on his City reign.

Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension during the 2024-2025 campaign and had, at various points this season, appeared to indicate that he would continue until 2027.

But the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has now verified those exit rumours, announcing on Friday that he is stepping down in an emotional social media post.

"When I arrived, my first interview was with Noel Gallagher. I walked out thinking, 'OK… Noel is here? This will be fun', Guardiola said.

"And what a time we have had together. Don't ask me the reasons I'm leaving. 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 colour 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. We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way. Our way.

"Hard work comes in many forms. Trips to Bournemouth, when we lost the Premier League, and you were there. Trips to Istanbul, when you were there, too.

"Remember, the Manchester Arena attack, when this city showed the world what strength actually looks like? Not anger. Not fear. Just love. Community. Togetherness.  

"Remember, losing my mum during COVID and feeling this club carry me through it. The fans, the staff, the people of Manchester, you gave me strength when I needed it most.

"Cris, my kids, my whole family, you were there as always. Khaldoon, you were there too.

"Players don't forget – every single instant, moment, me, my staff, this club, everything. What we have done, we have done it for all of you. And you have been just exceptional. You don't know it yet, but you are leaving a legacy.

"So as my time comes to an end, be happy. Oasis are back again. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for trusting me. Thank you for pushing me. Thank you for loving me.

"Tony Walsh said in his unforgettable poem this is the place. I'm sorry, Tony: this is my place. Noel…I was right. It has been so f****** fun. Love you all."

Guardiola departs as one of the most successful managers in Premier League history, having delivered six titles in 10 seasons.

Having finished as runner-up in 2025-2026 and third in 2024-2025, this is the first time Guardiola has failed to win the Premier League in back-to-back campaigns – in fact, it is the first time he has endured two seasons without a title in his entire top-flight managerial career.

He will leave City having overseen 592 games in all competitions. Among his current tally, Guardiola boasts 416 victories, a 70.3 per cent win rate, and has seen his team selections score 1,422 goals.

He has won 20 trophies with City in total – six Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and five Caraba Cups, having won both domestic cups again in 2025-2026, in addition to one UEFA Champions League, three Community Shields, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup.

He is the only manager to win four English top-flight titles in a row, doing so between 2020-2021 and 2023-2024, and the only manager to oversee a 100-point Premier League season (2017-2018).

Sir Alex Ferguson is the only manager to better Guardiola's six Premier League titles, winning 13, while the Manchester United legend is one of only two managers to boast more Premier League wins with a single club than Guardiola.

Ferguson won 528 Premier League games with United, Arsene Wenger won 476 with Arsenal, and Guardiola has won 269 with City.

Guardiola was unable to deliver another Premier League title in his final campaign, but he did become the first manager to ever win both English domestic cups in the same season twice, having previously done so in 2018-2019.

Guardiola's five Carabao Cups are the most of any manager in the competition's history, while only Wenger (seven), George Ramsay (six), Ferguson (five) and John Nicholson (four) have bettered his three FA Cup triumphs.

Speculation has been rife regarding Guardiola's next destination. Although he took a one-year sabbatical after leaving Barcelona in 2012, he jumped straight into the City job after leaving Bayern Munich in 2016.

Guardiola has repeatedly suggested his next move could take him into international management, with Italy reportedly looking to land him after missing a third successive FIFA World Cup, but there will no doubt be other suitors in line.

City, meanwhile, has been strongly linked with ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who led the Blues to the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup trophies in 2024-2025, having previously worked under Guardiola at City.