Pep Guardiola warns Man City against copying his style when appointing Enzo Maresca as successor

Pep Guardiola has issued a direct warning to Manchester City’s leadership as he prepares to leave the club after a decade in charge, cautioning against any expectation that his successor should mirror the methods or conditions that characterised his time at the Etihad Stadium.

“It doesn’t work to copy and paste in this kind of job,” Guardiola stated. “You have to be unique, natural and yourself, and the new manager will be himself. The moment it starts to be a copy for another one … Everyone is everyone. It has to be like that.”

The Catalan coach made the remarks ahead of his final Premier League fixture — a home match against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium — which marks the conclusion of an unprecedented ten-year spell in the North West of England. Following his departure from the dugout, Guardiola is set to transition into a global ambassador role at the club.

His tenure at Manchester City stands as one of the most decorated managerial stints in English football history. During that period, the club won six Premier League titles and the Champions League, while also setting a record 100 points in the 2017/18 season — a campaign widely referred to as the “Centurions” season. City also became the first club in English top-flight history to win four consecutive league titles, a feat that remains unmatched.

The warning carries particular relevance given widespread reports that former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has already been identified as Guardiola’s replacement, with sources suggesting a comprehensive agreement was reached behind the scenes several months ago. Maresca, 46, previously worked under Guardiola as an assistant at Manchester City, a connection that could invite comparisons between the two coaches.

However, Guardiola’s comments appear designed to pre-empt any such expectations. Maresca’s spell at Stamford Bridge demonstrated a tactical identity that diverges from his former mentor’s approach in several notable ways. The Italian coach showed greater pragmatism in high-stakes matches, frequently adopting a more defensively structured setup against elite opposition. He notably referenced the influence of another of his mentors, Carlo Ancelotti, who reportedly advised him to abandon a high defensive line when Chelsea faced Real Madrid in a pre-season fixture.

Maresca departed Chelsea at the end of the 2025/26 season after the club failed to secure European football, according to reports, with a 10-man Blues side losing on the final day against Sunderland.

For Manchester City, the transition represents one of the most significant moments in the club’s modern era. The challenge of succession after a manager of Guardiola’s stature is well-documented in football — clubs such as Manchester United, after Sir Alex Ferguson, and Barcelona, following Johan Cruyff’s first departure, struggled to manage comparable transitions. Guardiola’s explicit advice suggests an awareness of that historical pattern and a desire to shield both the incoming manager and the club from similar pitfalls.

With the Premier League season concluding on 24 May 2026, the coming weeks are expected to bring a formal announcement regarding City’s managerial appointment and the terms of Guardiola’s new ambassadorial role at the club.