Juanma Lillo has shared the reason why he returned to Manchester City to become Pep Guardiola’s assistant coach.
City have signed three players this summer: Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku.
However, there’s an argument that their best piece of business was bringing back 57-year-old coach Lillo.
The Spaniard was Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium for two-and-a-half years, but he left the club last summer to become the manager of Qatari side Al-Sadd.
However, City rehired Lillo just 12 months later after city coaches Enzo Maresca and Rodolfo Borrell took jobs at Leicester City and Austin FC respectively.
Lillo explains why he returned
The visitors’ dugout at Bramall Lane will look a little different on Sunday when City face Sheffield United.
Lillo will manage City after Guardiola underwent surgery on a back issue this week. The City boss will not return until City travel to West Ham on September 16.
Speaking to the media on Friday ahead of the match, Lillo explained his decision to return to City just one year after leaving.
“I’m an old man. Those are the upstarts [coaches that left],” Lillo said.
“I’m coming back, I’m already on my way back so to speak. He [Guardiola] is someone very special to me, not only in a football manner. I am here to be with someone who’s been very important in my life. It’s different. When I left [in 2022] it was more ‘see you later’.”
City won a historic treble in Lillo’s absence, but it was Guardiola who instated that City bring the Spaniard back.
Lillo is one of Guardiola’s great footballing inspirations and one of the few coaches the City boss believes can come up with tactical solutions when he isn’t sure what to do.
Lillo did not leave Al-Sadd until July, but he still assisted Guardiola with City’s preparations for last season’s Champions League semi-final and final against Real Madrid and Inter Milan respectively.
