Pep Guardiola sends two word message to next Man City manager

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about what the next manager needs to do after he is gone

Pep Guardiola has two words of advice for the next Manchester City manager: be yourself. As one of the greatest coaches in the game says goodbye to the Etihad after ten years, he believes the next man should leave him in the past.

Enzo Maresca is expected to be the successor, having gone on to have success with Leicester and Chelsea in recent years after time with City in their academy and then as one of Guardiola’s assistants during the Treble season. The Italian has been out of work since leaving Stamford Bridge in January is expected to come in for the toughest job since David Moyes stepped into Sir Alex Ferguson’s shoes at United.

Guardiola has taken on an ambassadorial role within the City Football Group as he leaves Manchester, but his priority is rest. Friends do not believe he can go more than three months without itching to be back involved in the game, yet that is another personal challenge he is determined to win.

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That space should give Maresca the opportunity to be his own man at City, and that is exactly what Guardiola thinks he needs to be. The 55-year-old leaves because he does not think he will have the energy to keep going next season, and believes that changes are needed to keep the club fresh.

“Be themselves. A manager has to be himself. Unique,” he said when asked for words of advice for the next manager. “The club will be there to support him unconditionally. Like they have done it to me, they will do it to him and his staff.”

Guardiola has said previously that City would be his last club role in coaching while indicating that he would be interested in international management. Two of the upcoming major tournaments will be in countries he knows well, with England one of the hosts for Euro 2028 and Spain for the World Cup in 2030.

He did not rule anything out on Friday when asked about a City return or the England job in his future. His first priority, though, is trying to get some focus for Sunday’s game with Aston Villa as he looks for a big farewell.