Josep Guardiola has the opportunity to leave Manchester City in 2025. If that happens, who are the coaches who can replace him?
Guardiola has been able to achieve success with Man City since arriving in 2016. That includes their historic treble winners last season.
In the 2023/24 season, Guardiola will again lead Man City to win the Premier League title. They also became the first team to win four Premier League trophies in a row.
After leading Man City to become champions of the 2023/2024 Premier League, Guardiola gave an indication. He will probably leave the team when his contract expires in 2025.
“The reality is that I am closer to leaving than staying [after next season],” said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.
If it is true that Guardiola leaves, Man City will have to find a replacement. Who are the coaches who could become Manchester Blue’s tacticians after next season?
The following are seven potential replacement coaches for Josep Guardiola at Manchester City.
- Michel (Girona)
Michel succeeded in bringing Girona to a surprising appearance in the 2023/2024 season. They managed to finish in third place at the end of the La Liga standings.
This success led Girona to secure Champions League tickets next season. That is a big achievement for Girona considering they were only promoted to La Liga two years ago.
Girona has sister club status to Manchester City because it is part of the City Football Group. In this way, it will be easier for The Citizens to secure Michel’s services.
- Enzo Maresca (Leicester City)
Enzo Maresca was Josep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City in the 2022/2023 season. He succeeded in helping The Citizens win the treble winners.
After one year as Guardiola’s assistant, Maresca moved to Leicester City. He succeeded in bringing The Foxes promotion to the 2024/2025 Premier League after winning the Championship.
Maresca is reportedly currently being approached by Chelsea. However, the Italian coach could return to the Etihad Stadium after Guardiola’s departure.
- Ruben Amorim (Sporting CP)
Ruben Amorim is a promising young coach in Portugal. He succeeded in bringing Sporting CP to win the Portuguese League this season.
This was the fifth title Amorim won with Sporting. The 39 year old coach previously also won the Portuguese League title in the 2020/2021 season.
Amorim succeeded in destroying the dominance of Porto and Benfica in the Portuguese League. Thanks to his achievements, Amorim has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs such as Liverpool and Chelsea.
- Roberto De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi succeeded in bringing Brighton to finish in sixth place in the Premier League standings last season. They also appeared in the Europa League for the first time.
However, De Zerbi’s association with Brighton must stop at the end of the 2023/2024 season. The Italian coach decided to resign from the Amex Stadium.
De Zerbi already knows the Premier League. He could fill the post that Josep Guardiola will leave at Manchester City in 2025.
- Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen)
Xabi Alonso has succeeded in impressing many people. He has performed exceptionally this season with Bayer Leverkusen.
Under Alonso’s tutelage, Leverkusen managed to record 52 unbeaten matches. Unfortunately, they lost 0-3 to Atalanta in the Europa League final.
Even though they failed to win the Europa League, Alonso and his squad managed to win two titles in the 2023/2024 season. They lifted the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal trophies.
- Vincent Kompany (Burnley)
Vincent Kompany is a former captain of Manchester City. He succeeded in bringing Burnley promotion to the Premier League in 2023/2024.
However, Kompany’s report card in the Premier League this season is quite bad. The team he managed experienced relegation after finishing in 19th place.
Even so, Kompany managed to attract Bayern Munich. It is rumored that the Belgian coach will train Harry Kane and his colleagues next season.
- Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
Mikel Arteta was also Josep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City. The man from Spain then pursued a career as a coach at Arsenal.
Arteta succeeded in boosting Arsenal’s performance. He led the Gunners to become rivals to Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title for the last two seasons.
Even though he failed to win the Premier League, Arteta won the FA Cup and Community Shield at Emirates Stadium. He could be a good replacement for Josep Guardiola at Manchester City.
