{"id":2226,"date":"2026-05-19T09:30:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T09:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=2226"},"modified":"2026-05-19T09:30:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T09:30:58","slug":"the-man-city-icon-and-former-barcelona-star-five-contenders-to-replace-pep-guardiola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=2226","title":{"rendered":"The Man City icon and former Barcelona star: Five contenders to replace Pep Guardiola"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0\" data-component=\"Newsletter\" data-loading=\"lazy\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"independent\" style=\"display:contents\">\n<aside class=\"sc-y4bm30-0 jwWhkK newsletter-component sc-1ge0fwe-0\" data-newsletter-key=\"receiveInsideSportNews\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletters\/InsideSport1_1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Inside Sport\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-1 inRDZn\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-3\">\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-4 hfveGa\">\n<p><h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-6 fvoxRM cLEJmn\">Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of sport<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-8 fvoxRM iTZFOX\">Get our free Inside Sport newsletter<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"sc-y4bm30-5 sc-y4bm30-7 fvoxRM iGYpOF\">Get our free Inside Sport newsletter<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 hKcUSR sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-1ix0cah-0 PYnPb sc-y4bm30-10 fUEDPX\"><use href=\"#600f53465147d717\"\/><\/svg><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-y4bm30-2 kcLSBk sc-y4bm30-9 iQYNfz\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/static-assets\/images\/newsletters\/InsideSport1_1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Inside Sport\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/pep-guardiola\">Pep Guardiola<\/a> is reportedly set to leave <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/manchester-city\">Manchester City<\/a> at the end of the current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/premier-league\">Premier League<\/a> season with an announcement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/sport\/football\/pep-guardiola-man-city-exit-premier-league-b2968960.html\">of his departure expected this week. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>Whoever replaces him at the Etihad will have difficult shoes to fill following his glittering reign at the club.<\/p>\n<p>Guardiola arrived at City in 2016 and has won 20 titles including a treble of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/premier-league\">Premier League<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/champions-league\">Champions League<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/fa-cup\">FA Cup<\/a> triumphs in 2022\/23 emulating Sir <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/alex-ferguson\">Alex Ferguson<\/a>\u2019s Manchester United team from 1998\/99. <\/p>\n<p>The most recent trophies won by Guardiola\u2019s side are the 2025\/26 Carabao and FA Cups with City completing a domestic cup double last weekend having <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/sport\/football\/pep-guardiola-man-city-fa-cup-final-bernardo-silva-john-stones-b2978120.html\">beaten Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley <\/a>&#8211; and they could yet win yet another title with the Premier League crown still mathematically up for grabs. <\/p>\n<p>After the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/fa-cup\">FA Cup<\/a> final, Guardiola affirmed that he still had one-year left to run on his contract with City, but rumours have grown over the last 24 hours that the Catalan will be calling time on his City career following this Sunday\u2019s Premier League finale. <\/p>\n<p><strong>With his exit growing ever more likely, here are some of the candidates that could replace him:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><h3><strong>Enzo Maresca<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Ex-Chelsea and Leicester boss <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/enzo-maresca\">Enzo Maresca<\/a> is the clear frontrunner to replace Guardiola and there are even reports circulating that he has already agreed to join the club. <\/p>\n<p>Guardiola\u2019s former assistant, the Italian is well acquainted with his management style and has long been an admirer, and played his own part in City\u2019s treble-winning season of 2022\/23, having formerly worked with the club\u2019s academy. Guardiola himself previously called Maresca \u201cone of the best managers in the world\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He won promotion from the Championship with Leicester and continued that success at Chelsea, winning the Conference League and last summer\u2019s Club World Cup with the Blues before his relationship with the ownership went sour. His somewhat acrimonious exit from Chelsea earlier this season was linked to reports of him being in talks with the City leadership over replacing Guardiola. <\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"3\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 bSMbbp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/05\/19\/09\/2195895950..\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/05\/19\/09\/2195895950..?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/05\/19\/09\/2195895950..?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Enzo Maresca (right) is the current favourite to replace Guardiola\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 YlsWU hgzWpY\">Enzo Maresca (right) is the current favourite to replace Guardiola<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gjqsiM\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->Getty<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3>Vincent Kompany<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Former Manchester City captain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/vincent-kompany\">Vincent Kompany<\/a> would no doubt be a popular pick to replace Guardiola. The Belgian played under him, spending 11 seasons at City, eight of which with the armband.<\/p>\n<p>Since retiring as a player he returned to manage Anderlecht, where he began his playing career, before rising from manager of struggling Burnley to the top job at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/bayern-munich\">Bayern Munich<\/a>, where his all-out attacking style has attracted widespread admiration. However, last October he extended his contract with the German giants until 2029, and he is reportedly content in Munich.<\/p>\n<p>Bayern reached the Champions League semi-finals this season and won another Bundesliga title in dominant fashion. <\/p>\n<p><h3>Andoni Iraola<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Andoni Iraola has announced his departure from Bournemouth this summer, where he is to be replaced by Marco Rose, but is yet to announce his own next destination. <\/p>\n<p>The Spaniard spent the majority of his playing career at Athletic Bilbao and had been linked with a return to Spain, either to his former club or simply for a break from management, after a highly successful three years with the Cherries. <\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"3\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 gVquFZ\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/05\/19\/10\/2026-05-17T124519Z_412501886_UP1EM5H0ZFIBC_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-GERMANY-FCB.JPG\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/05\/19\/10\/2026-05-17T124519Z_412501886_UP1EM5H0ZFIBC_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-GERMANY-FCB.JPG?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2026\/05\/19\/10\/2026-05-17T124519Z_412501886_UP1EM5H0ZFIBC_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-GERMANY-FCB.JPG?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Vincent Kompany has enjoyed success at Bayern Munich and may be difficult to lure away\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 YlsWU hgzWpY\">Vincent Kompany has enjoyed success at Bayern Munich and may be difficult to lure away<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 gjqsiM\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->Reuters<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3>Oliver Glasner<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Another Premier League manager to have already announced his departure from his current club is Crystal Palace boss <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/topic\/oliver-glasner\">Oliver Glasner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Austrian announced earlier this season that he would be leaving Selhurst Park in the summer, having overseen a rise in the club\u2019s fortunes during his two years there including a maiden FA Cup triumph &#8211; in which they defeated Manchester City &#8211; and qualification for the Conference League. He too is without a confirmed next move. <\/p>\n<p><h3>Cesc Febregas <\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Having previously been discussed as a contender to replace Liam Rosenior at Chelsea, Cesc Fabregas is now in the conversation to fill Guardiola\u2019s shoes.<\/p>\n<p>The former Barcelona star, who came up through La Masia before leaving for Arsenal, ultimately returned to Camp Nou for a successful three-year spell in which he won La Liga, the Club World Cup, two Spanish Super Cups and the Copa del Rey. He idolised then-Barca captain Guardiola when coming up through the academy and would also be a popular pick to replace the City legend.<\/p>\n<p>After finishing his playing career at Como in 2023 he immediately turned to management, becoming the Italian side\u2019s permanent head coach in summer 2024 having previously coached their under-19 and B teams. He has impressed at the Serie A side, who currently sit fifth in the top-flight. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2227,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG-768x512.jpg",640,427,true],"large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG-1024x683.jpg",640,427,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG.jpg",1200,800,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG-1115x715.jpg",1115,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG-800x500.jpg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KRYF5R8SPQHDMX04BNDTXMXG-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?cat=6\" rel=\"category\">Sports<\/a>","tag_info":"Sports","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}