Today we’re not talking crypto. Just here for the love of football!
Ten years, Pep.
As the final whistle blew, the massive TIFO at the Etihad slowly unfolded, featuring your iconic image with a baseball cap and furrowed brow, with the words ‘GAME CHANGER, HISTORY MAKER’ below. In that moment, every City fan knew that an era had truly come to an end. We lost, 1-2, with Haaland absent and Foden’s equalizer ruled out; your farewell match wasn’t perfect. But who cares? Over these ten years, the perfection you’ve given us has been more than enough.
Do you remember when you first arrived in 2016? Right off the bat, you sent our legendary keeper Joe Hart packing, claiming his footwork wasn’t refined enough. So many fans were on the forums calling you ‘stubborn’ and ‘unfeeling’. But look at the result! You brought in Ederson, a keeper who can deliver lethal assists with his feet. That’s when we realized you were building a ‘super team’ where even the keeper participates in playmaking. The first season ended with no trophies? That was just the necessary growing pains before establishing a dynasty. You knocked down a wall called ‘tradition’ and began reshaping every bone of this team starting from the keeper.
Then, the miracle began. An unbeaten season, we swept the Premier League like we were playing a football video game. Remember April 2018, when West Brom beat Manchester United, and we clinched the title early? The locker room was filled with champagne spraying everywhere, and you, drenched in your shirt, were grinning like a kid. That was your first Premier League title with Manchester City, the first-ever unbeaten title in Premier League history. Yet you later said, 'That’s not my achievement, it’s a result of the players’ extreme execution; they took possession and attacking football to the extreme.' You see, you always do this, attributing glory to others.
Those heart-stopping yet euphoric moments shaped the backdrop of this decade: Stones' millimeter clearance on the goal line silenced the Anfield chants; Vincent Kompany, our eternal captain, with that earth-shattering long-range shot against Leicester City (who knew a center-back would choose to shoot from that position!), kicked the title back to Manchester. And of course, there was that Istanbul night in 2023, when Rodri's winning goal finally let us touch the big-eared trophy, achieving the treble. You knelt on the grass, covering your face in tears; we knew how much you carried for this title. You later admitted it was 'the most relieving and fulfilling moment of your coaching career.'
But the moments that brought us to tears were often not the trophies, but those off-field instances. The media always calls you a tactical obsessive, but we know there’s a warm and mischievous big kid inside you. You’d personally call to 'plead' for an employee whose wife wouldn’t let him come out to celebrate; you’d encourage the equipment manager to dress up as Santa during Christmas training, then pause the session so everyone could hear him sing off-key (Jingle Bells).
What broke us the most was after the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. The entire city was shrouded in sadness; you took the whole team to visit injured kids. At the press conference, you choked up several times, saying in your not-so-fluent English, 'Football is insignificant in the face of life, but if we can bring even a sliver of joy to this city, that’s our responsibility.' Later, in your farewell video, you rewrote a local classic poem, tenderly saying, 'Sorry, Tony, this place is also my home.' In that moment, we understood that Manchester was no longer just your workplace; it was your home.
You also have your 'blunders.' Remember that Champions League match against Lyon? You fielded a three-center-back formation that left all the commentators scratching their heads, and we lost. In the post-match press conference, you looked like a student who had just messed up, admitting, 'I overthought it.' But we never really blamed you, because we knew that your constantly thinking and innovating mind was why we fell in love with you. You even won the Premier League again in a season without a traditional striker, using tactics like 'false nine' and 'full-backs cutting in' that sound like something out of a football manager game.
Ten years, 593 matches, the most in club history. 20 trophies, including 6 Premier Leagues, 1 Champions League, 3 FA Cups, and 5 League Cups. You've left behind the first domestic treble in English football history, along with an unprecedented four consecutive League Cups. But you say the most precious things were never these trophies, but 'the unique historical moments and growth trajectories created by the team.'
Today, you said, 'Deep down, I know it’s time,' 'nothing is eternal.' We understand. After 593 matches, you’ve almost burned yourself out. You plan to take a long break to make up for the time missed with your kids. We are happy for you, yet we can’t help but selfishly feel sad.
You won't be leaving completely; you will become a global ambassador for the City Football Group. Perhaps one day in the future, we’ll see you in casual wear in the stands of a match in New York or Melbourne, furrowing your brow as you watch the game. But the image of you on the Etihad touchline, always restless, always gesturing, always contemplating, will forever be etched in our memories.
Pep, thank you. Thank you for letting 'beautiful football' flourish in Manchester's rainy nights; thank you for turning every ordinary weekend into a festival we eagerly anticipated; thank you for transforming Manchester City from a 'sugar daddy' label into a dynasty symbol that is repeatedly studied in tactical textbooks.
As the final whistle blows and the TIFO falls, an era has come to a close. But that shade of blue you painted in the Manchester sky will never fade. This will always be your home.
Goodbye, Pep. Wishing you all the best.
