Published: 02:35, 4 Aug 2023
Pep Guardiola has assistant coach Juanma Lillo back in his staff. The 57-year-old Spaniard returns to the Etihad Stadium after a stint at Al-Sadd in Qatar.
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Lillo had previously been Guardiola's right-hand man at City for two years. During that period, The Citizens won the English Premier League title twice, clinched a League Cup victory, and reached the Champions League final in 2021.
However, City suffered a 0-1 defeat to Chelsea in the final due to a goal by Kai Havertz.
'Juanma sees things in the game that nobody else sees. He understands football at an incredible level, so he is the perfect person for me to work with,' Guardiola said on the club's website regarding Lillo's return. 'He is a friend, a colleague, and an inspiration. I am incredibly happy that he is back at Manchester City.'
The return of the Spaniard to the coaching staff became possible because Enzo Maresca had previously departed from the Etihad Stadium. The Italian has since started his own journey as a coach at Leicester City, which was relegated to the Championship.
