Signs of Pep Guardiola's departure have actually appeared months before Manchester City officially confirmed the information on Friday.
One of the most special moments took place at the end of April, when Guardiola suddenly appeared at Edgeley Park to watch the English third-tier match between Stockport County and Port Vale.
The official reason given is quite simple: Guardiola once promised Stockport owner Mark Stott - who is also his host - that he would come to watch a match. But for those who understand Guardiola well, that trip is more meaningful than that.
Instead of returning to Barcelona on his usual day off, the Spanish strategist chose to stay in England to enjoy the lower-tier football atmosphere - something he has always had a special affection for a decade in the foggy country.
When asked about missing the Champions League semi-final match between PSG and Bayern Munich that night, Guardiola humorously called it "a terrible match". But behind that joke is a clear reality, he is trying to enjoy the last moments with English football in his own way. And now, it's all officially closed.
Guardiola will leave Man City after the final match against Aston Villa this weekend, ending a glorious 10-year journey at the Etihad with 20 major and minor titles. And what Guardiola left behind is not just cups. He also changed the face of English football.
Since arriving in Manchester in 2016, Guardiola has redefined the way Premier League teams play football, pressing, controlling space and building tactical systems. His influence has spread from big teams to lower-tier stadiums.
Dean Lewington - the symbol of MK Dons - once admitted that Guardiola had influenced the entire tactical thinking of English football.
Whether he realizes it or not, Guardiola has changed the way this whole football operates" - Lewington said at the 2024 PFA Awards ceremony.
The special thing is that Guardiola has never considered those influences as his greatest achievement. For him, the greatest value lies in stability.
Throughout 10 seasons leading The Citizens, Guardiola has never finished the Premier League outside the top 3. City has also never missed the Champions League under him - something that even Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool has not done.
Guardiola is particularly proud of that stability. That is why he appreciates the streak of 8 consecutive FA Cup semi-finals, 4 consecutive finals at Wembley or 5 League Cup titles.
According to Guardiola, success is not only in the number of titles, but also in the team maintaining its competitive standards each season. However, for the rest of the football world, he will forever be remembered for his trophies.
From the historic treble in 2023 to the 100-point season, Guardiola has turned Man City into the dominant machine of English football. And even when he left, he still left a strong enough foundation for City to continue competing for titles.
The new squad with Phil Foden, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nico O'Reilly or Rayan Cherki is built as the final generational transition that Guardiola directly supervises. The person chosen to succeed is likely Enzo Maresca - Guardiola's former close assistant and also the person who understands the current Man City system best.
But no matter who comes next, the pressure to succeed Guardiola is almost an impossible task. Manchester United took more than a decade to regain their position after Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Arsenal also needed more than 20 years to truly recover from Arsene Wenger's era.
Man City believes they have prepared better for the post-Guariola period. But even so, the gap left by the Catalan strategist is still almost impossible to fully fill. In an effort to deny that he changed Man City like Johan Cruyff changed Barcelona, Guardiola said: "Cruyff is changing his mentality".
Perhaps Guardiola himself has not realized that he has just described his own legacy in England. Because after a decade, Guardiola has not only changed Man City, but he has also changed the Premier League.
Don't ask why I left. There is no specific reason at all, but deep down I know that it's time to stop.
Nothing lasts forever. If it did, maybe I would have stayed here. What lasts forever is the emotions, people, memories and love I have for Manchester City" - Guardiola shared.
