Manuel Pellegrini admitted he was emotional after taking charge of his final game as Manchester City manager.
The City boss threw his jacket into the away end after securing a 1-1 draw with Swansea City to claim a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League.
Pellegrini won't be around to see it with Pep Guardiola taking over his job in the summer while the 62-year-old looks for a new employer.
Asked if he felt emotional, the Chilean told a news conference: "Yes. I think it is a very special day. It is not easy to finish a cycle at this club where I work for three years very happy and where I always felt the support of the fans.
"I am very proud to manage this squad so of course it's a difficult day. But it's very important to finish with a squad in the Champions League."
Kelechi Iheanacho scored the fifth-minute opener for City before Andre Ayew's deflected free-kick pulled the Swans level on half-time. But City held on to secure a fourth-placed finish barring an unlikely 19-0 win in Manchester United's delayed game against Bournemouth.
While City failed to mount a serious title challenge this season -- finishing 15 points behind champions Leicester City -- Pellegrini insisted it was a good campaign.
"It was a good season because he won the Capital One Cup and after that we reach the semifinal stage of the Champions League -- the first time for the club," he added.
"Maybe we did not play in the way we like but against Real Madrid it was an own goal. We finish qualifying for next season [in the Champions League] and at the moment we had to prioritise we could not continue in the FA Cup.
"I think it's a good season and a good cycle of three seasons here, winning three trophies."
Pellegrini also praised his players at the way they ended the season after he announced his departure on Feb. 1 with Guardiola then confirmed as his successor.
He added: "One of the most difficult things was to finish this season after they announced that this club would change next season. It's not easy for a team. We were involved in all the competitions.
"It's not easy for the players to read every day that 11 players will go out and they are finished. That's why we are so proud of them about them that they try in the way they could.
"Of course it's not easy to do it, but I think finishing winning the Capital One Cup after that announcement and reaching the semifinal and now reaching the Champions League spot -- I am very proud of the squad."