Who is Hugo Viana? Get familiar with the man who will replace Txiki Begiristain as Man City Director of Football

Add as preferred source on Google

Hugo Viana will become Manchester City’s new Director of Football in the summer of 2025 in place of the departing Txiki Begiristain.

Things are going as well as ever on the pitch for Manchester City but there is a lot of swirling uncertainty off it.

The hearing for the Premier League’s 115 charges against the club is underway, it could be Pep Guadiola’s last season in charge and it will be Txiki Begiristain’s final campaign as Director of Football.

It emerged in October that Begiristain will bring his 13-year tenure at City to an end in August 2025, to retire.

Begiristain is just as responsible for City’s remarkable success over the last decade as Guardiola’s wizardry with the players, thanks to his remarkable eye for talent and superb business acumen.

Replacing him will be a big task and it has been confirmed Hugo Viana is the man tasked with doing so.

But who exactly is he? Well, here is everything you need to know.

• READ MORE: Whether Pep Guardiola will now leave Man City in 2025 after Txiki Begiristain is set for exit

Who is Hugo Viana?

Hugo Viana is a former football turned football administrator who has made waves as Director of Football for Sporting, his boyhood club.

Viana enjoyed a distinguished career and played nearly 500 matches for a range of clubs and his country as a centre midfielder.

How old is Hugo Viana?

Viana was born in Barcelos, Portugal, on January 15, 1983. As of February 2025, he is 42 years old.

Hugo Viana Director of Football

Viana brought his playing career to an end in October 2016, at the age of 33. Seven months later in May 2017, he took his first role in football administration by joining lower-league Portuguese side Belenenses as Director of Football.

He stayed in that post for six months before leaving and then being appointed in the same position by Lisbon giants Sporting in September 2018.

Viana has earned a reputation as one of the best directors in the game since taking charge at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, with the club winning the league for the first time in 19 years in 2021 and doing so again last term.

Man City confirm Hugo Viana appointment

City confirmed Viana will replace the outgoing Begiristain in the summer of 2025.

The club said in a statement: “Manchester City can confirm that Txiki Begiristain will step away from his full-time role as Director of Football at the end of the 2024/25 season.

“Following a trophy-laden twelve years at the Etihad Stadium, Txiki will leave his current post following the Club’s involvement in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup and will be succeeded by Hugo Viana of Sporting CP.

“Viana will begin his full-time role in the summer of 2025, but will collaborate with Txiki in the preceding months to ensure a smooth transition.

“We look forward to paying tribute to Txiki’s outstanding contribution to Manchester City at the end of the season.”

Hugo Viana’s best signings

Since taking charge of football operations in Lisbon, Viana has unearthed plenty of top talents and made several great signings.

Over the last five years he has made his club €201.3m in profit in the transfer window and here are just some of the players he has recruited:

• Viktor Gyokeres
• Morten Hjulmand
• Marcus Edwards
• Diomande
• Goncalo Inacio
• Manuel Ugarte
• Pedro Porro
• Pedro Goncalves

Hugo Viana at Newcastle United and playing career

Before entering football admin, Viana was a capable midfielder who enjoyed a long career. He broke onto the scene at Sporting, winning Young European Footballer of the Year in his first season.

Newcastle United then moved to swoop him up, signing him for £8.5m in 2002, a then-record fee for a 19-year-old. The deal was also significant for being the first deal brokered between super agent Jorge Mendes and an English club.

Despite a bright start, Viana struggled to break into the Magpies starting XI and was loaned back to Sporting two years later. After a further loan spell at Valencia, he joined the La Liga side in 2016.

The last decade of his career was spent nomadically, also playing for Osasuna and Braga in his homeland before bringing his career to a close in Dubai.

Hugo Viana stats

Trophies and honours

Sporting trophies

• 1x Primeira Liga – 2001–02
• 1x Taca de Portugal – 2001–02
• 1x UEFA Cup runner-up – 2004–05

Braga trophies

• Taca da Liga – 2012–13
• UEFA Europa League runner-up – 2010–11

Al Ahli trophies

• UAE Arabian Gulf League – 2013–14
• Arabian Gulf Super Cup – 2013
• UAE League Cup – 2014