Manchester City face a period of transition after a wave of departures that, according to Mark Ogden and Gabriele Marcotti, removes 29 cumulative seasons of success and institutional memory from the club. Pep Guardiola, Bernardo Silva and John Stones have left, and last summer also saw exits for Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündogan, Éderson, Manuel Akanji and director of football Txiki Begiristain.
After a decade under Guardiola, Ogden and Marcotti write that whoever replaces him will inevitably be viewed as a downgrade, even if not judged directly against one of the game’s greatest managers. The pair note City prepared for succession differently than Manchester United did after Sir Alex Ferguson, and that Enzo Maresca—Guardiola’s assistant during City’s treble season and a coach with Premier League silverware at Chelsea—is seen as a fitting internal option who could offer continuity.
The analysts also point to signs that moving on from Guardiola may not be wholly negative. City’s title challenge collapsed at Bournemouth and the previous season featured a poor first half, and Ogden and Marcotti suggest those results could reflect Guardiola needing a break after giving everything to the job.
Off the field, City remain entangled in a lengthy regulatory case with 115 (noted as 130 by the writers) charges still pending. Ogden and Marcotti say the club maintains its innocence but faces potential outcomes ranging from a substantial fine to points deductions and, in extreme scenarios, relegation or expulsion. The club’s approach has been to press on with normal operations—Erling Haaland, for example, signed a 10-year contract extension shortly after a hearing concluded.
Ogden and Marcotti highlight that the most serious allegations relate to 2009–10 through 2017–18, an era in which none of City’s current players were signed and much of the coaching and executive structure has since changed. They note chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano remain in post and say responsibility would ultimately rest with them if a guilty verdict were returned. The writers also flag that Rodri’s contract runs until 2027; he won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, missed an entire season through injury and will turn 30 in June.
