Pep Guardiola has reportedly backed Manchester City to remain a major force in English and European football and continue challenging for trophies this season, insisting that the club possesses the quality, mentality and infrastructure required to compete at the highest level despite the major changes surrounding the team.
The former Manchester City manager knows better than most what it takes to build a team capable of consistently winning silverware. During his decade at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola transformed City into one of the most successful sides in modern football, winning 20 trophies before leaving the club in the summer of 2026. His remarkable spell included six Premier League titles, the Champions League, three FA Cups, five League Cups and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Although Guardiola is no longer on the touchline, his belief in the club has remained extremely strong. His latest backing comes at a particularly important moment for City, who are attempting to maintain their status among England’s elite while adapting to life after the legendary Catalan coach.
Guardiola’s confidence is understandable. Manchester City have spent years developing a winning culture that extends beyond one manager. The club’s recruitment structure, academy, coaching staff, facilities and experienced squad have all contributed to the remarkable consistency achieved during Guardiola’s reign.
The former manager’s message is therefore being viewed as more than simple encouragement. It represents his belief that the foundations established during his time at the club can continue producing success even after his departure.
City’s transition has naturally attracted enormous attention. Guardiola’s exit brought an end to one of the most successful managerial eras in Premier League history, while Enzo Maresca took over the responsibility of leading the team into a new chapter. Guardiola’s departure means City must now prove that their winning mentality is bigger than any individual manager.
Guardiola’s record provides a clear explanation for why expectations remain extremely high. He won 20 trophies during his time at Manchester City, including four consecutive Premier League titles between 2021 and 2024. He also guided the club to the historic Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup treble during the 2022/23 campaign.
Even during his final season, Guardiola demonstrated that City remained capable of competing for major honours. The club won the League Cup after defeating Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley, with Nico O’Reilly scoring twice. City subsequently lifted the FA Cup after beating Chelsea 1-0, giving Guardiola his 20th major trophy at the club.
Those achievements have helped create an expectation that Manchester City should always be challenging for trophies.
However, the challenge facing the club this season is different. Guardiola is no longer responsible for selecting the team, preparing matches or managing the players. The responsibility has shifted to Maresca and his coaching staff, who must establish their own identity while ensuring that City’s standards do not drop.
That transition could be one of the biggest stories of the season.
Guardiola’s support could also provide encouragement to the players. Having worked closely with many members of the squad, he understands their abilities and mentality better than almost anyone. His belief that the club can continue competing for major trophies could strengthen the confidence of players who are facing the pressure of replacing an era that delivered unprecedented success.
Manchester City supporters will also be hoping that the club’s established mentality remains intact.
One of the defining characteristics of Guardiola’s City was their refusal to become satisfied after winning one trophy. The team constantly looked for another challenge. Winning the Premier League was followed by attempts to win the Champions League. Domestic cup success was treated as another opportunity to demonstrate consistency rather than an excuse to relax.
That mentality helped City dominate English football for years.
Guardiola has also repeatedly emphasized that success comes from daily standards rather than simply looking at trophies. During his final season, he explained that maintaining the right behaviour and mentality every day was crucial because the Premier League does not wait for teams to find stability.
That philosophy could remain important to City even without him.
The club’s current players have experienced what it means to win major competitions. Several members of the squad have lifted Premier League trophies, domestic cups and European silverware. Their experience could be crucial as they attempt to guide younger players through the demands of another long campaign.
The Premier League, however, is becoming increasingly competitive.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and other ambitious clubs are determined to challenge the established order. City can no longer assume that their previous dominance will automatically continue. Every match is likely to bring pressure, particularly because opponents will see the post-Guardiola period as an opportunity to close the gap.
That is why Guardiola’s confidence is significant.
The former City boss understands the strength of the club’s squad and the mentality that has been developed over the years. His belief that City can win trophies suggests that he does not view his departure as the end of the club’s golden era.
Instead, he appears to believe that the foundations are strong enough for another successful chapter.
There is also a psychological element to City’s situation. The club has recently faced significant scrutiny away from the pitch following the Premier League’s ruling concerning financial-rule breaches. Manchester City have maintained their position and are expected to appeal, while Guardiola publicly reaffirmed his support for the club, saying he remained behind the club, its leadership, players, staff and supporters.
That makes his continued public support particularly important to City supporters.
Rather than distancing himself from the club after leaving, Guardiola has made it clear that his connection with Manchester City remains extremely strong. After a decade at the Etihad, he described the memories and relationships he built there as more important to him than the trophies themselves.
For the players, that relationship could serve as additional motivation.
Manchester City’s ambitions have not changed simply because their manager has changed. The club still expects to compete for the Premier League, Champions League and domestic cups. The challenge is now to demonstrate that the winning culture created under Guardiola can survive the transition.
There will inevitably be comparisons between Maresca and Guardiola. Every tactical decision, formation and result will be judged against the standards established during Guardiola’s extraordinary reign. But City cannot spend the entire season attempting to recreate the past.
They must build their future.
That is where Guardiola’s backing becomes important. Rather than suggesting that City are finished after his departure, his confidence sends a different message: the club has enough quality and ambition to continue winning.
For supporters, that will be exactly what they want to hear.
Manchester City have spent the past decade establishing themselves as one of the dominant forces in world football. Guardiola’s 20 trophies provide overwhelming evidence of what the club achieved during his reign, while the domestic and European success has created expectations that will remain long after his departure.
Now, the new generation must carry that responsibility.
If City can maintain their intensity, improve their consistency and adapt successfully to their new managerial era, Guardiola’s prediction could prove correct. The road to silverware will not be easy, but few clubs enter a season with the experience, resources and winning mentality that Manchester City possess.
Guardiola may no longer be standing on the touchline, but his belief in the club remains clear.
And if Manchester City succeed in lifting major trophies this season, it would provide perhaps the strongest evidence yet that the culture built during Guardiola’s extraordinary decade was never dependent on one man alone.
The challenge has now been passed to the next generation of players and coaches.
Manchester City’s era of success may have entered a new chapter, but according to Guardiola’s confidence, it is far from over.