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Man City pick Pep Guardiola replacement with club 'planning' for new manager next season
Suraj Radia
- 12 Mar 2026 18:52 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Manchester City have already reportedly identified their new manager to replace Pep Guardiola, who is allegedly in line to leave the club at the end of the season.
Guardiola still has one year to run on his contract at the Etihad Stadium but speculation has intensified in recent weeks that the Spaniard may end his ten-year spell with City in the summer.
The 55-year-old has previously admitted he would take a break from football after leaving City and, while no formal decision has been made, Guardiola has spoken candidly over his tenure eventually coming to an end.
The situation has led to City ‘planning for the future without Guardiola next season’, according to Fichajes, who then go on to claim that Enzo Maresca has been chosen as the man to take over the reigns at the club.
Maresca was sacked by Chelsea in January after falling out with the club’s board, with tensions already high after revelations that he had held talks with City three times while still in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Guardiola is said to have ‘directly endorsed’ Maresca to succeed him, having previously had the Italian among his coaching staff at City and the club have ‘moved quickly’ to finalise a deal amid an expectation that they will need a new manager next season.
Maresca set for Man City job as Guardiola prepares for exit
Having won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup during his first year with Chelsea, Maresca soon found himself at odds with the club and its medical staff, leading to his departure at the start of the year.
Despite his turbulent exit, Maresca is held in high regard at City and the Premier League giants are confident that his style of play and management can help the club transition smoothly from the Guardiola-era.
It remains to be seen whether City’s end to the season will play a part in Guardiola’s decision, having seen his side lose 3-0 to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie and also still trailing Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title.
Any announcement over Guardiola’s future is unlikely to be made until the end of the season but it appears a foregone conclusion that Maresca will take over at City when the time does eventually come for a new manager at the helm.
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