Manchester City’s former manager Pep Guardiola said he won’t advise the club on choosing the new coach. The Spaniard said the new manager can’t be copy and paste as this is not how it works in this field.

Guardiola will leave the Sky Blues after serving as manager for the last 10 years, leading the club to multiple titles. 

Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, a former City assistant, is the club’s top choice to take over the coaching baton from Guardiola.

“It doesn’t work to copy and paste in this kind of job,” Guardiola said.

“You have to be unique, natural and yourself and the new manager will be himself. The moment it starts to be a copy for another one … Everyone is everyone. It has to be like that. And that’s why everything is going to be good.”

Guardiola has repeatedly backed City since being hit with 115 charges relating to alleged financial wrongdoing in February 2023.

The 55-year-old said he is optimistic that the club will eventually be cleared.

“Because I trust them,” he said.

“I trust them! Because I spoke with them and I trust how they behave and how they did. So what happened — there will be the resolution. I trust them.”

The Spanish manager said he will take rest after parting ways with Manchester City.

“I don’t have any absolute plan about my future except to rest and go to recover my time that I missed with my kids when they were growing [up] and many things I’ve not done I want to do,” he said.

“So, I don’t think for one second thinking about anything related to football for the next time, for the next years. I don’t think about it.

“I need to rest, I need to reflect. Afterwards we will see what happens. I don’t have a plan, just to rest and do a lot of things I want to do that I didn’t do in the past, stupid things that I want to do.”

City will take on Aston Villa on Sunday.