Mansion Sports – Pep Guardiola promised he will contact his successor at Manchester City as he prepares to hand over control of the first team at the Etihad Stadium.

The legendary Spanish coach led his final match on Sunday, bringing to a close a decade full of trophies that fundamentally changed the landscape of English football.

Guardiola Offers Support to the Next Manager

Guardiola led City for the final time as their Premier League campaign ended with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Despite the defeat, attention remained focused on the figure who became the driving force behind the club’s modern era.

With his former assistant, Enzo Maresca, currently the leading candidate to take over the managerial position following his departure from Chelsea in January, Guardiola stressed that he will always be ready to help.

“When the club tells me who the person is, of course I will call him,” said Guardiola. “I will tell him, ‘Be yourself and the club will support you unconditionally.’”

“That is the greatest compliment, or the greatest fortune, that all managers who have been here have had. You will be protected in difficult times more than at any other club. Be yourself, be free, carry out your ideas. Work hard and everything will be fine.”

A Legacy of Unprecedented Success

The 55-year-old leaves Manchester after 10 brilliant years having won 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.

His final season as manager saw him deliver the FA Cup and League Cup double while finishing as runner-up in the league.

The manager revealed that he had mentally prepared himself for this farewell, even though the news only became public recently.

“Yesterday I was at home and I had no furniture at all,” admitted the Spanish coach. “Basically everything was completely empty. I only had a bed to sleep on. I have processed everything. After a few weeks, everything was finished.”

Farewell to John Stones and Bernardo Silva

The final whistle against Aston Villa was not only a farewell for the manager, but also for club icons John Stones and Bernardo Silva.

Stones, who arrived in Manchester in the same summer as Guardiola in 2016, reflected on a journey that made him an important part of a world-class defense. Both received a guard of honour from both teams as they were substituted in the second half of the match.

“When I look back at myself as a little kid playing in the streets, to say that I would win this many trophies, I would never have believed it,” said Stones in an emotional farewell.

“It is something extraordinary and we have set the standard for this club. I hope moving forward when I come back and watch from the stands, they can recreate extraordinary moments.”

“The Greatest Manager of All Time”

Bernardo Silva, who has been a key part of the midfield since 2017, also delivered great praise for the figure who led the most successful period in the club’s history.

Although City lost to Aston Villa on the day despite taking an early lead through a goal from Antoine Semenyo, the result of the match felt secondary compared to the tribute given to the tactician behind their rise.

Silva said: “Pep is the reason we won so much. He was at the helm, making decisions and creating this extraordinary team and personally, he is my football father. I truly believe that he is the greatest manager of all time.”