As the Pep Guardiola era looks all but certain to be coming to an end, Manchester City fans headed to the Bournemouth match on Tuesday (May 19) said they were saddened, but grateful for “the best ten years.”
“I mean, it was always going to come to an end at some point. Obviously, it’s been the best ten years,” one fan said has he made his way to Vitality Stadium where City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth.
The draw ended City’s hopes for the Premier League title, with Arsenal’s lead now insurmountable and snagging them their first English title since 2004.
Guardiola is expected to take charge of Manchester City for the final time on Sunday, drawing the curtain down on a decade that has reshaped not only his club but English football itself.
When the Catalan arrived in 2016, he was already regarded as one of the game’s great innovators. What followed was something even more profound: a transformational reign that turned City from wealthy contenders into the defining team of an era.
Ten years on, Guardiola leaves City having won 15 major trophies, not including the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
His trophy cabinet includes six Premier League titles –including a record four in a row– and the club’s first Champions League crown, a haul that places him among the most successful managers in English football history.
This season alone, he has guided City to both the League Cup and FA Cup titles, and pushed Arsenal right to the wire in the Premier League race.
His final match, expected to be Sunday’s league game against Aston Villa, will close the book on a story of dominance, reinvention and influence that extended far beyond results.
