Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will say goodbye to three of his assistants this summer in a busy summer
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Inigo Dominguez and Carlos Vicens with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola
Inigo Dominguez and Carlos Vicens with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola
Manchester City have confirmed the departure of three of Pep Guardiola's assistants ahead of a busy summer. Carlos Vicens, Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez are all leaving before the Club World Cup, signalling a major refresh of the backroom staff.
Vicens, who has been with the club since 2017 and was promoted from the academy to the first team in 2021, is leaving to become the new head coach of Braga. The Portuguese club, who came fourth in their league this season, have agreed terms with Vicens as they ambitiously look to challenge the top sides in their league.
Lillo, a long-time mentor of Guardiola who coached the manager in Mexico towards the end of his playing days, first joined the coaching staff in 2020 and after leaving for a year returned in 2023. He brought Dominguez with him when he re-joined, but has expressed a wish to return to Spain and Dominguez will also depart.
That leaves Guardiola with just fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura and goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor as assistants who sit with him in the dugout.
City's head of player support Manel Estiarte and performance analyst Carles Planchart are long-serving help who have been with the manager form his Barcelona days.
City have announced that the new coaching structure will be confirmed in due course, and the hope will be that the new arrivals can be in position as quickly as possible.
The Blues head off for the United States for the Club World Cup in the middle of June, a competition they are aiming to go far in before the start of next season's Premier League.
As revealed by the Manchester Evening News, Guardiola will get extra assistance for the tournament from City's Under-21 coach Ben Wilkinson and his No.2 Craig Mudd.
They will be there to support the younger players who are asked to help the first team prepare for matches and recover for them, although it remains to be seen how many other coaches there will be.
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