Manchester City have confirmed the departure of Director of Football Txiki Begiristain after 13 years at the club. He will be replaced by Sporting CP’s Hugo Viana.
Begiristain leaves following a disappointing 2024–25 campaign in which City finished the season without a trophy. His exit also comes as the club continues to face over 100 charges for alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules.
The former Barcelona executive was instrumental in shaping City’s recent success, having played a key role in bringing Pep Guardiola to the Etihad in 2016. The pair were teammates at Barcelona and maintained a close working relationship throughout their time in Manchester.
“Everyone at Manchester City would like to thank Txiki for everything that he has achieved during his time at the Club, and we look forward to paying tribute to his outstanding contribution in September,” the club said in a statement.
Begiristain previously held the same role at Barcelona from 2003 to 2010, where he also oversaw Guardiola’s appointment as head coach in 2008.
In a farewell chat with City Studios, Begiristain said:
“I told (Man City CEO) Ferran (Soriano), ‘I’ll handle Pep’s transition for you.’ And then you renewed for two more years. When you renewed the last time (in November last year), I said, ‘Ferran, I can’t do this anymore.'”
