Man City can appoint five managers to replace Pep Guardiola | Football | Sport
Pep Guardiola has been in charge of Manchester City since 2016 (Image: Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola is reportedly poised to reflect on his long-term future at Manchester City following this weekend’s Carabao Cup final. City meet Arsenal at Wembley Stadium as the two rivals compete for silverware on Sunday. The clash arrives shortly after City were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16 by Real Madrid on Tuesday, going down 5-1 on aggregate.
Guardiola’s team suffered a 3-0 defeat at the Bernabeu last week and confronted an even greater obstacle after Bernardo Silva received an early red card in the return fixture at the Etihad. The Daily Mail claim that Guardiola is prepared to take some time away immediately following the final to reflect and an announcement on his future could arrive within days.
The 55-year-old’s existing contract runs until 2027, after signing an extension in November 2024.
His future has increasingly become the focus of speculation, despite the remaining duration of his deal. Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is reportedly among those who have been approached as a potential successor when Guardiola ends his legendary tenure. Here, Express Sport looks at five managers City could appoint to succeed Guardiola in the future.
The former Chelsea boss was linked with the City position during his time at Stamford Bridge. The Italian remains without a job after departing the west London club in January.
During his 18-month spell in charge, Maresca guided Chelsea to the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup. Maresca has previously enjoyed two stints with City, first overseeing the Elite Development squad and subsequently returning as a first-team assistant in 2022.
He was linked with the City position towards the end of his Chelsea tenure and was reportedly in discussions with the club. The 46-year-old is currently he bookmakers’ frontrunner to replace Guardiola.
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Luis Enrique is the most decorated manager on this list. The 55-year-old has already followed Guardiola once in his career, when he took over from him as Barcelona B boss in 2008.
Following stints at Roma and Celta Vigo, Enrique became first-team manager at the Camp Nou and guided the Catalan side to two La Liga titles and a Champions League win in 2015. Two periods in charge of Spain followed, but it is his achievements at Paris Saint-Germain that are currently garnering praise.
Luis Enrique has twice won the Champions League during his managerial career (Image: Getty Images)
Enrique was the manager who ultimately led PSG to the Champions League trophy last season. Like Guardiola, his contract is scheduled to expire in 2027, though there have been suggestions of a potential extension.
The former Liverpool midfielder is without a club after departing Real Madrid in January. Alonso’s previous achievements at Bayer Leverkusen showcased his managerial credentials. Guardiola was the one who initially brought Alonso to Germany, signing him for Bayern Munich in 2014.
Following his retirement, the 44-year-old spent several years as a youth coach before taking the reins at Leverkusen in 2022. In his second season, Alonso guided the club to their first Bundesliga title, maintaining an unbeaten record throughout the league campaign, and also clinched the 2024 DFB-Pokal.
A City icon, Kompany is now thriving as a manager. The appointment of the former Burnley boss to succeed Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich in 2024 raised eyebrows, but the Belgian rose to the challenge, securing the Bundesliga last season.
Kompany worked under Guardiola for three seasons towards the end of his time at City and would likely embrace a heartfelt return to the club in the future. However, the Bayern manager extended his contract until 2029 in October.
An unconventional choice for City. The ex-Liverpool assistant joined Guardiola’s coaching team in June 2025.
Lijnders worked with Jurgen Klopp for the majority of his Anfield spell and has had two prior spells as a first-team manager with NEC Nijmegen and Red Bull Salzburg, respectively. The precedent for Guardiola being succeeded by his assistant was established by the late Tito Vilanova at Barcelona in 2012.
