Manchester City have announced that the newly developed and expanded North Stand at the Etihad Stadium has been named ‘The Pep Guardiola Stand’.
Manchester City said the stand was fully open for the first time for the former Manager’s final game in charge at the club, the concluding game of the English Premier League season against Aston Villa.
The City of Manchester Stadium, currently known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home of the Premier League club Manchester City F.C.
Under development since late 2023 the newly expanded Pep Guardiola Stand adds over 7,000 new seats to Etihad Stadium, bringing the stadium capacity to over 61,000.
His Highness Sheikh Mansour has bestowed the prestigious honour of naming the stand in recognition of the incredible contribution Pep has made during his ten historic years as manager of the Club.
As part of the renaming, a statue of Pep will also be commissioned, and feature on the approach to The Pep Guardiola Stand.
His Highness Sheikh Mansour said, “I said a long time ago that Manchester City should have the very best people at its disposal, both on and off the field. For ten years Pep has been the personification of that ambition.
“He has made an indelible imprint on the DNA of the Club. One that is borne more from how he won than from the many trophies he lifted.
“He has the unending gratitude of myself and the entire City family, a family of which he will always be part.”
Fittingly 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.
Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak said, “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.
“The unique relationship that he has with our fans has been earned through the honesty and passion of his ten 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.”
Recent development at Etihad Stadium have also seen the opening of The Medlock, a 401-room hotel in collaboration with Radisson (a prominent international hotel group) as well as a range of food and beverage (F&B) outlets operating 365 days a year.
Visitors and loyal fans alike can look forward to a covered City Square fan zone boasting a generous capacity for 3,000 people and an incredible array of food and drink outlets.
Manchester City is sparing no expense in ensuring its fans get the royal treatment.
A particularly exciting feature of the redevelopment is the Sky Bar poised above the upper tier of the North Stand.
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