Manchester City will usher in a new dawn next year, with Txiki Begiristain leaving the club.
It was reported earlier this week that Begiristain would be departing Man City at the end of the 2024/25 season, and confirmed by the club over the weekend.
It was news that not many people really saw coming.
Manchester City have enjoyed a dominant past few years under Pep Guardiola, and Begiristain has been a very big part of that success.
Pretty much since his arrival back in 2012, Begiristain has been working away behind the scenes in his director of football role, ensuring that Guardiola has had the players he needs to challenge on all fronts.
It is going to be really interesting to how City do after he has gone. There is little doubt he is one of the all-time great directors of football.
Begiristain told Man City last year that he’d be leaving
Give Me Sport have reported on the situation of Begiristain leaving City.
While it may appear as though this news has come rather out of the blue, it has actually been on the cards for some time.
GMS claim that Begiristain actually informed the club as far back as last year of his decision that he would definitely be leaving.
It is also stated that Begiristain had initially intended to retire at the age of 55, but continued on in his role because the club was having so much success.
The question of whether Begiristain will retire was addressed by Fabrizio Romano a few days ago. Begiristain will apparently take a sabbatical after leaving Man City, before then returning to football in another capacity.
Interestingly, it is also claimed by GMS that Begiristain has played a part in Manchester City’s decision to appoint Hugo Viana.
Viana will be working at Sporting CP until the end of January, before leaving and starting a bedding-in process with City. He will then officially start in the summer.
Man City will want a seamless transition
Begiristain leaving City is big news, because he has been superb in his role in supporting Guardiola.
He has been responsible for luring so many amazing players to the Etihad Stadium, and he and his recruitment team deserve huge plaudits for their work over the years.
It is a very tough act to follow, but Viana seems like he could be a good bet to build on Begiristain’s legacy.
With Begiristain playing an active role in Viana’s appointment, City fans can rest assured that he will be passing on all his pearls of wisdom, and contacts within the game.
It will be important for a seamless transition to take place, and the months preceding his official start date will be integral to a good start for Viana.
The summer of 2025 could potentially be a big one for the club, so Viana will need to hit the ground running.
