Pep Guardiola is to continue working for City Football Group despite confirming his departure as manager of its flagship club, Manchester City.

Guardiola will take charge of his final match on Sunday, having become the most successful manager in City history during a 10-year spell that gleaned six Premier League titles. 

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss will remain on the CFG payroll, however, as a global ambassador that will involve him giving technical advice to the 13 clubs in the group.

City CEO Ferran Soriano said: “We have been privileged to work alongside Pep Guardiola for 10 years. 

“Pep’s legacy is extraordinary and its true impact will be better assessed by Manchester City historians of the future.

“If there is something more difficult than winning, it is winning again. It requires incredible persistence, resilience and the humility to start again every year, with the same energy, again and again. This is what Pep did.

“As we celebrate the past, we are also very happy to know that Pep will stay with the group and we will be able to use his knowledge and experience in so many of our other clubs to help managers and players.”

Guardiola leaves City as the joint second most successful manager in English football history, after Sir Alex Ferguson. As well as six top-flight titles, he won the club’s first Champions League, three FA Cup and five EFL Cups.

Honesty and trust

The Catalan achieved a Premier League record points tally of 100 in 2017-18, and is credited with popularising tactical innovations including ball-playing goalkeepers and inverted full-backs throughout English football.

He departs, however, with the shadow of City’s more than 100 charges of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules still hanging over the club, who have denied wrongdoing.

“Over the last 10 years honesty and trust have formed the bedrock on which we have navigated every situation together with Pep,” said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

“There have been points along the way when he could have stopped, and it would have been enough. Somehow, Pep always found new energy and pushed on, finding different and innovative ways to continue winning and delivering success.”

Guardiola, who has batted away questions about his future throughout this season, said he could not explain why he was stepping down with one year remaining on his contract.

“Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time,” he said. 

“Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.”

The club are expected to pay tribute to Guardiola at their final game of the season, at home to Aston Villa, this weekend.