It’s been a roller coaster of a week for Manchester City. First, it was confirmed that their iconic long-serving manager, Pep Guardiola, would be leaving the club after a decade in charge. Then, the Blues drew 1-1 away at Bournemouth in their penultimate game of the 2025/26 Premier League season, handing the title to table-topping Arsenal, who now become champions for the first time in 22 years.
For City fans, the departure of Pep is far more heartbreaking than them missing out on yet another title. The maverick Catalan coach has led the club to a whopping six Premier League titles in his ten seasons in charge, as well as racking up 11 other pieces of domestic silverware. His tenure was headlined by that famous treble in 2023, where the Blues claimed the title, the FA Cup, and their maiden UEFA Champions League trophy.
Guardiola Set to Leave
However, after a decade in charge, the story is now over. News broke on the evening of Monday, May 18th, that Guardiola would be leaving the Etihad Stadium, with Guardiola not yet having informed his players of the news. He then had to inform them in the build-up to the following days’ trip to the South Coast, providing less than ideal circumstances to prepare for a crunch clash in which only a victory would have kept their title hopes alive. The win never came, and the 1-1 draw ensured that this season’s title would head to North London instead.
City have acted quickly to replace Guardiola. It has been reported that former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will take charge at the end of the season, with the Italian already having agreed to a three-year deal in principle. But that’s Manchester City. What of Guardiola? Where will he end up next? Here are the leading candidates.
England National Team
The shock favorite to land Guardiola as their next manager is the English national team. The Three Lions are currently gearing up for this summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament that the bookies make them contenders to win. The popular 7signs online sportsbook currently positions England as a 6/1 third-favourite to reign supreme in North America this summer, with only Spain (9/2) and France (5/1) considered more likely champions.
Thomas Tuchel is the man currently at the helm. He took over from Gareth Southgate after his second straight European Championship final defeat in the summer of 2024, and the German was brought in with one job and one job only: to win the 2026 World Cup. His contract said as much, with the FA tying the former Chelsea boss down to a two-year contract that expires at the end of the World Cup, and he is already rumoured to be on his way out of Wembley after the tournament comes to a conclusion, win, lose, or draw this summer.
That then means that the England hot seat is likely to be vacant, and Guardiola could well be the man to take over. The former Barcelona manager has stated in the past that he considers himself Catalonian rather than a Spaniard and is a fierce believer in Catalan independence. As such, unlike Tuchel, there should be no conflict of interest for Guardiola: Catalonia doesn’t have a national team, and he has repeatedly stated he doesn’t support Spain.
Could that be the crucial deciding factor, both for the FA and Guardiola himself to agree to a deal? It would certainly make sense. The FA would be securing the best manager on the planet, while Guardiola would be able to manage a national team without having to worry about facing the country of his birth.
Italian National Team
Another national team reportedly interested in appointing Guardiola is the Italian national team, and the bookies consider them the second-favourites to land his signature. The Azzurri are in somewhat of a crisis at the moment, with the recent penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina ensuring that the Italians will miss a third straight World Cup. By the time the 2030 showpiece rolls around in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, it will have been 16 long years since the four-time champions last ventured onto the global stage.
For Guardiola, signing with the Italians represents the chance to be front and centre in the radical overhaul of a country’s entire footballing DNA. Huge changes are set to come in Italy following that third straight World Cup miss, and FIGC President Gabriele Gravina has already resigned from his post. In fact, even the Italian government has gotten involved, with the sports minister and even Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calling for complete overhauls.
Former World Cup-winning midfielder Gennaro Gattuso is the man currently in charge, himself having spent less than a year in the hot seat following the sacking of Luciano Spalletti. His future is currently undecided, but should Guardiola show interest in the role, then Gattuso will almost surely be axed to clear the way for the former Manchester City man.
