Manchester City will honour legendary manager Pep Guardiola by renaming the North Stand at Etihad Stadium after the Spaniard.
Guardiola, 55, announced on Friday he will be leaving City after a decade at the helm in which he led the club to 20 trophies and elevated them to new heights.
Fittingly, "The Pep Guardiola Stand" will be fully open for Guardiola's final game in charge of City on Sunday when they take on Aston Villa in their last game of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
As well as naming the revamped stand after Guardiola, a statue of the six-time Premier League winner will also be commissioned.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, said both were a fitting tribute to a coach who had made "an indelible imprint on the DNA of the club".
“I said a long time ago that Manchester City should have the very best people at its disposal, both on and off the field," Sheikh Mansour said in a statement released by the club. "For 10 years, Pep has been the personification of that ambition.
“He has the unending gratitude of myself and the entire City family, a family of which he will always be part.”
Located at the end of Joe Mercer Way, The Pep Guardiola Stand will be a new focal point on matchdays.
Acting as a structural backbone, the stand is one part of the new multi-element entertainment district, that also includes the new matchday fan activation space named Medlock Square, a 401-room hotel, a new club museum, retail stores, office space and a variety of restaurants and bars.
“The Pep Guardiola Stand, and the statue that will sit outside it, rightly ensure that Pep's legacy will remain forever woven into the fabric of this football club, the city of Manchester and English football," said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
“The unique relationship that he has with our fans has been earned through the honesty and passion of his 10 seasons fighting to bring them success. The Pep Guardiola Stand is a fitting and permanent reminder of that relationship, the most successful period in our club's history, and the unique football genius at its heart.”
Under development since late 2023 the newly expanded stand adds over 7,000 new seats to Etihad Stadium, bringing the stadium capacity to over 61,000.
City chief executive Ferran Soriano added: “It is wholly appropriate that the occasion of Pep’s final game as Manchester City manager will also be the afternoon that the wonderful new Pep Guardiola Stand of the Etihad Stadium will hold 7,000 more City fans for the very first time.
“Sunday will be an opportunity for everyone to celebrate his achievements. Sheikh Mansour’s permanent marking of Pep’s incredible legacy will give City fans the opportunity to acknowledge Pep’s legend every single time they visit our stadium.”
Pep's time at Man City - in pictures
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Pep Guardiola was appointed Manchester City manager at the start of the 2016/17 season. City would finish the season without a trophy - the first time Guardiola had failed to win any silverware in his managerial career. Getty Images -
Pep Guardiola celebrates Manchester City scoring against Southampton in a Premier League match on November 29, 2017, at Etihad Stadium. Getty Images -
Pep Guardiola celebrates winning the Premier League for the first time with Manchester City following a game against Huddersfield Town on May 6, 2018. The Catalan would go on to win six Premier League titles in all. Getty Images -
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, left, alongside manager Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium following the club's 2017/18 Premier League title success. Getty Images -
Pep Guardiola led Manchester City to a first Uefa Champions League triumph on June 10, 2023, beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty Images -
Pep Guardiola hugs Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak after they are crowned Premier League champions on May 21, 2023. City won a historic treble of league, FA Cup and Champions League in the 2022/23 season. Getty Images -
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, left, and manager Pep Guardiola pose for a photograph with the Fifa Club World Cup trophy after their team's victory over Brazilian club Fluminense in the final at King Abdullah Sports City on December 22, 2023, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images -
Pep Guardiola, right, celebrates with his players after Manchester City won the 2023 Fifa Club World Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was the fifth trophy City would win that calendar year. Getty Images -
Pep Guardiola holds up the FA Cup following Manchester City's 2-1 win over Manchester United in the final at Wembley on June 3, 2023, in London, England. Getty Images -
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, UAE Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister, centre, stands for a photograph alongside Pep Guardiola, to his right, and other Manchester City officials during an event to celebrate the club’s fourth consecutive Premier League title, at Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi, on June 13, 2024. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Pep Guardiola pose for a photo with the Premier League trophy following the team's victory over West Ham United at Etihad Stadium on May 19, 2024. City made history as the only team in English top-flight history to win four league titles in a row. Getty Images -
Manchester City celebrate their FA Cup final win over Chelsea at Wembley stadium on May 16, 2026, in London, England. Getty Images -
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola celebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup final match against Chelsea on May 16, 2026, in London, England. It was the third time City had won the competition under Guardiola. Getty Images
