Juventus may have punctured all the internet excitement when they denied any contact with Pep Guardiola, but Manchester City know that one day they will have to prepare for life beyond the great coach.
However happy he is at the Etihad, even if the manager makes the Etihad his longest stay in coaching he has made it clear there are other experiences he craves - as well as a lot of rounds of golf.
There is no mistaking the influence Guardiola has had on the club though and that applies to his successor.
A strange footnote to news of his appointment in early 2016 came when it emerged that Aleks Kolarov changed his mind about leaving the club so he could pick up some tips for a future coaching career; stranger still was how he was converted from an uninterested left-back into an important centre-half under Guardiola before moving onto Roma against the manager's wishes.
Whoever the club appoints to succeed the Catalan is almost certain to feel like a downgrade given what has been achieved but the chances of a new broom cut from the same cloth has grown significantly in the last three years.
Patrick Vieira impressed enough at New York City to be given the top job at Nice, and is unflustered at being touted for top jobs.
Mikel Arteta's stock seems to grow with every training session he runs, and is another former Gunner that could make Arsenal pay for passing on the chance to utilise his coaching.
There is also a place for Vincent Kompany to return at some point in the future as he leaves to take City's brand of football to Anderlecht after Guardiola reignited his love for the game.
None may be next to take the Etihad hotseat but expect at least two of the three to be seriously considered the next time it comes up.
City's chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak spoke about looking to the future as much as the past as the club prepares to celebrate 125 years of history.
Appointing the first manager with a previous connection to the club since before the takeover would be a nod to both while continuing the Guardiola blueprint.
