The confirmation is in. Pep Guardiola is leaving Manchester City after ten years, and English football will not look quite the same on the other side of it. BBC Sport went to rival supporters to take their temperature, and the responses — ranging from barely concealed delight to something approaching genuine sadness — paint a picture of a manager who has left almost nobody unmoved.

United fans want the power to shift

Manchester United supporters, predictably, are not mourning. Alex Turk, of Turk Talks FC, draws the comparison with Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 — the day the rest of English football exhaled — and argues the feeling is now mutual across the city. Twenty trophies across a decade will do that to a rival fanbase.

There is, however, a thread of genuine respect running beneath the relief. Turk acknowledges Guardiola always treated United with a regard that not every City figure has managed. The more pointed observation is the timing: Michael Carrick's appointment as permanent United head coach landed just fifteen minutes before Guardiola's exit was confirmed. Whether that coincidence turns into something meaningful over the next few seasons remains to be seen, but the noises out of Old Trafford are optimistic. A power shift in Manchester is the dream; whether Carrick can deliver is the question.

Liverpool fans close a chapter

On Merseyside, Josh Sexton of The Anfield Wrap captures the mood with characteristic frankness. He admits to feeling, improbably, a touch of sadness. After years of Guardiola's City functioning as Liverpool's great obstacle, and after Jürgen Klopp's own departure from Anfield in 2024, it feels like two giants leaving the stage in quick succession.

The analytical point Sexton raises is worth dwelling on. The Guardiola–Klopp era pushed Premier League title-winning points totals into territory the division had rarely seen — the pair routinely drove each other beyond the ninety-point mark. Arsenal have claimed the title this season, but on a maximum of 85 points, a figure that would have fallen short in several of those peak campaigns. With Guardiola gone and Liverpool rebuilding, the barrier to entry for a title race may be lower. That is not nothing for a club with a talented squad already in place.

Arsenal fans allow themselves a moment

Laura Kirk-Francis, of the Latte Firm podcast, is refreshingly honest about where her feelings come from. She celebrates Guardiola's departure in the same breath as Arsenal's Premier League title, and she is self-aware enough to name it: jealousy. The juggernaut City became under Guardiola caused Arsenal supporters years of grief, and the fact that the Gunners have finally beaten him to a league crown before he left makes the whole thing considerably sweeter.

There is a backhanded thank-you in there, too — gratitude that Guardiola stayed long enough for Arsenal to do it while he was still in charge.

What comes next

Enzo Maresca is widely expected to replace Guardiola at the Etihad, though City have not formally confirmed a successor. The 115 alleged financial rule breach charges continue to hang over the club, adding a layer of uncertainty to a transition that would feel significant even without that backdrop.

What the rival fan responses collectively suggest is that Guardiola's legacy in England is not straightforward. He is a figure you can admire and resent simultaneously, often within the same paragraph. He raised standards across the division, forced rivals to spend more, think differently and demand more from their own managers. The clubs around him were shaped, in part, by the problem he represented.

Whether English football reaches those intensity levels again any time soon is another matter. For now, the rivals are watching, and — in most cases — smiling.

Frequently asked

When is Pep Guardiola's last game as Manchester City manager?
Guardiola's departure has been confirmed by Manchester City, with his final match as manager coming at the end of the current season. The club have not yet formally announced a permanent successor.
How many trophies did Pep Guardiola win at Manchester City?
Guardiola won 17 major trophies during his time at City, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League, with a total of 20 trophies across his ten-year tenure when all competitions are included.
Who will replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City?
Enzo Maresca, the former Chelsea manager, is widely expected to take over at the Etihad, though Manchester City have not made a formal announcement at the time of writing.