{"text":[[{"start":8.6,"text":"Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will step down after a decade in charge, bringing to a close one of the most glittering managerial reigns in world sport."}],[{"start":19,"text":"The club said on Friday that the Catalan would leave his role after the season ends on Sunday despite having a year left on his contract. "}],[{"start":27.1,"text":"“Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time. Nothing is eternal,” Guardiola said. "}],[{"start":35.5,"text":"The club said he would remain part of the City Football Group as a global ambassador. "}],[{"start":40.5,"text":"Guardiola has led an all-conquering Manchester City side to six Premier League titles, three FA Cup wins and victory in the Uefa Champions League since taking the helm in 2016. The side have also won five English League Cups and the Fifa Club World Cup under his leadership."}],[{"start":59,"text":"But the 55-year-old was unable to stop Arsenal from winning this year’s Premier League, with Manchester City set to finish runner-up after dropping points in their penultimate game of the season on Tuesday. It is the second consecutive season that the club owned by a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family has failed to secure the title."}],[{"start":null,"text":"
"}],[{"start":77.9,"text":"His departure will test Manchester City’s succession planning under Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose ownership has coincided with the club’s most successful ever period. "}],[{"start":87.75,"text":"But hanging over Manchester City’s success are the 115 charges levelled against them by the Premier League for alleged breaches of its financial regulations over several years."}],[{"start":100.1,"text":"An independent commission is yet to make a ruling on the allegations, which span from 2009 to 2018, but the case has cast a shadow over one of the most dominant eras in English football."}],[{"start":111.89999999999999,"text":"Manchester City deny wrongdoing. "}],[{"start":114.1,"text":"Guardiola collected trophies at a faster rate than legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, firmly establishing Manchester City as one of the most feared teams in the world."}],[{"start":124.85,"text":"He and Ferguson are the only managers to have won the treble of the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup with English clubs in a single season."}],[{"start":134.4,"text":"Guardiola’s tactical influence is evident across modern football, from the trademark intricate passing and positioning that allow his teams to control games, to goalkeepers comfortable with the ball at their feet."}],[{"start":146.3,"text":"Manchester City’s title rivals this season, Arsenal, are led by Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s former protégé and one-time assistant. Enzo Maresca, the man expected to replace Guardiola at Manchester City, is also a former assistant. "}],[{"start":161.85000000000002,"text":"Sporting success has boosted Manchester City’s finances. Club revenues were below £400mn the season before Guardiola joined. In 2024-25, revenues slipped to £694mn after two consecutive seasons above £700mn."}],[{"start":178.55,"text":"Guardiola spent more than a decade as a player at Barcelona and later became manager of the club, winning three La Liga titles. He then moved to Germany’s Bayern Munich, where he matched that achievement with a hat-trick of domestic league titles."}],[{"start":193.25,"text":"His Manchester City career began with a trophyless campaign in 2016-17. However, his team recorded a record 100-point haul on the way to winning the Premier League the following season. "}],[{"start":205.95,"text":"Guardiola later led Manchester City to four league titles in a row, an unprecedented feat in English football, and secured the club’s first Champions League title in 2023."}],[{"start":217.39999999999998,"text":"Maresca led Chelsea to victory in the Uefa Conference League and the Fifa Club World Cup last season, but left the London team in acrimony in January. "}],[{"start":235.04999999999995,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779457408_4566.mp3"}