Enzo Maresca to Succeed Guardiola as Manchester City Manager

Enzo Maresca will take over as Manchester City manager from the 2026/27 season, stepping into one of the most demanding roles in modern football as Pep Guardiola walks away after a decade and 20 trophies at the Etihad Stadium.

But he will do it without Pep Lijnders by his side.

Lijnders chooses the exit as Guardiola era closes

Lijnders, who only arrived at City in June 2025, will leave the club at the end of the season. His time in Manchester has been short, intense and closely tied to Guardiola’s final act.

The Dutch coach came in with a formidable reputation after his years alongside Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, bringing with him a high-energy, front-foot approach that dovetailed with Guardiola’s relentless standards. City’s hierarchy saw him as a key figure for the transition that would follow the Catalan’s departure.

They wanted him to stay. He chose not to.

According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, City offered Lijnders a new long-term contract to remain on the staff once Maresca takes charge. The plan was clear: keep a bridge between eras, a coach who understood both the Premier League and the unique pressures of a club that has grown used to winning everything.

Lijnders turned it down. At 43, he has decided to step away rather than remain an assistant under a new regime.

A clean break for a coach who wants his own stage

This is not a dismissal or a quiet phasing-out. City were keen to retain him as part of the post-Guardiola structure, particularly with Maresca expected to bring his own ideas and staff. Lijnders, though, appears determined to carve out his own path in the game instead of serving as a perpetual No 2.

So he will leave in tandem with Guardiola, the “aforementioned former Barcelona and Bayern Munich tactician” whose shadow will loom large over whoever follows.

On Sunday, after City’s final Premier League game of the season at home to Aston Villa, Lijnders will say his goodbyes to players and staff. The Etihad will not just be saluting the end of Guardiola’s 10-year reign; it will also be watching another influential figure walk away after a whirlwind single season.

What comes next for Lijnders is not yet confirmed, but the expectation is clear: a new challenge, a new project, and this time, a stage of his own.