In a new book released this week, Manchester City sporting director Txiki Begiristain reveals the enormous challenge of finding Pep Guardiola’s successor.
Manchester City has been under Guardiola’s stewardship for eight years, but his tenure might end when his contract expires in 2025. As speculation swirls about his future, Begiristain, who is tasked with identifying potential replacements, reflects on the daunting task ahead.
Having faced a similar situation in the past, Begiristain understands the gravity of replacing a manager of Guardiola’s caliber. In the 2020/21 season, Guardiola was in the final year of his contract, prompting City to consider future candidates. Despite the challenge, Begiristain recognized the difficulty in finding a replacement who could measure up to Guardiola’s standards.
“It’s something I think about from time to time, but finding the right person is incredibly challenging,” Begiristain told Marti Perarnau in The Pep Revolution. “There are coaches whose styles or methodologies I admire, but matching Pep’s impact is a tall order.”
Begiristain noted the ideal scenario would be to retain Guardiola, acknowledging the tough challenge of convincing him to stay. “We have another year to figure it out, and keeping Pep would be the perfect solution,” he said. “By 2021, he would have been here for five years, which is already longer than at any other club.”
City managed to secure Guardiola’s services with a two-year extension announced in November 2021, and he renewed again in 2022. This extension meant Guardiola had spent over twice as long at the Etihad as he did at Barcelona or Bayern Munich. His tenure has included winning the Champions League and four consecutive Premier League titles, making the task of replacing him even more formidable.
