Decision made. It has been revealed who will take charge of Manchester City if Guardiola leaves

Manchester City were knocked out in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, and talk of Pep Guardiola’s possible departure has resurfaced.

Details: According to Fabrizio Romano, should Guardiola decide to leave Manchester City, the leading candidate to take over as head coach is Enzo Maresca.

Moreover, Maresca’s camp is already aware of the situation and the interest from Manchester City. However, everything depends on Guardiola making a final decision first.

Interestingly, despite another elimination at the hands of Real Madrid, Guardiola does not consider Los Blancos to have been the biggest challenge of his career. He pointed to a different team and opponent instead.

Reminder: The Spanish manager has lost both legs of a UEFA Champions League knockout tie only for the fourth time in his career. Notably, three of those defeats came against Real Madrid — in the 2013–14, 2024–25, and 2025–26 seasons.