After an enormously successful 12-year stay, Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain is reportedly set to leave the club at the end of the 2024/25 season.
As part of their plan to become a global force, City made a statement in 2012 by appointing former Barcelona technical director Txiki Begiristain as their director of football.
Begiristain, who played for Real Sociedad and Deportivo La Coruna during his playing career, was tasked with supporting the club’s management team with world class recruitment and operations.
And the Spaniard has played an integral part in the club’s success over the past decade; something Pep Guardiola has been vocal about on numerous occasions over the years.
Back in January, he was full of praise for Begiristain. “If you take a look at the clubs who have success, they have had the same sporting director or hierarchy for a long time,” said Guardiola.
“Txiki has been massively important at this club. He was here before I arrived and was stable in the club. He has been really important in these years and part of the enormous success we’ve had in terms of results and many things, he has been so important.
“I do ask him to take responsibility with the media, talk a bit, but he’s so shy. He wants to be behind the scenes so all the shots and the weapons are directed to me. But it was the same in Barcelona.”
Guardiola added: “He’s a close friend and we’ve known each other 25 or 30 years. He’s calm and that balance helps us work perfectly together.”
After such an influential spell at the Etihad, however, Begiristain is set to step down from his role, report The Athletic.
Begiristain was expected to step back from operations at City when he turned 55 but it was said he was so invested in the project that he extended his stay to 2024, when he turned 60.
The report goes on to suggest that City are believed to have reached an agreement to appoint a replacement, who is due to start in early 2025.
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Topics: Manchester City, Premier League, Pep Guardiola