Manchester City has reportedly set their sights on Sporting’s Hugo Viana to replace Txiki Begiristain as their next director of football, marking a new era in the club’s recruitment strategy.
While Txiki Begiristain may be widely known for his role in signing players, his legacy is forever tied to his decision to appoint Pep Guardiola as Barcelona’s manager in 2008. At the time, other Barcelona executives, including Ferran Soriano, had their eyes on Jose Mourinho as Frank Rijkaard’s successor. However, Begiristain stood firm, insisting that Guardiola, with just a year of experience leading Barcelona’s B team, was ready for the main job. His determination paid off, leading to the creation of one of football’s most celebrated teams.
Sporting Lisbon may not be on Barcelona’s level, but Viana has made a significant impact in his six years as the club’s sporting director. One of his crowning achievements was convincing the club to spend €10 million—an enormous chunk of their budget—to bring in Braga’s Ruben Amorim as manager. It was a bold move, making Amorim the third most expensive managerial transfer in history, but it has paid off handsomely.
In just four years under Amorim, Sporting has claimed four major trophies, including two league titles. They also returned to the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in over a decade. Unfortunately for them, they ran into Guardiola’s Manchester City, suffering a humbling 5-0 defeat in Lisbon. Guardiola himself called the result a “fake reality,” acknowledging his team’s ruthless finishing, which made the game appear far more one-sided than it actually was. Despite the defeat, Amorim’s reputation as one of the brightest managerial talents in world football remained intact.
Amorim’s success has come despite Sporting’s consistent need to sell top talent. Portugal’s major clubs, including Sporting, continue to struggle to retain their best players when bigger European leagues come calling. In the last five years alone, Sporting has sold key players like Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Porro, Nuno Mendes, Matheus Nunes, and Joao Palhinha for a total of around £234 million. Viana’s ability to negotiate with top clubs like Manchester City, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain, while finding astute replacements, has earned him considerable respect in the football world. For instance, Viktor Gyökeres, who arrived from Coventry City for a record €20 million, has already scored 40 goals in 41 league appearances, proving to be a brilliant addition.
Viana’s dedication and tireless work ethic are well known in the football industry, and despite his already impressive résumé, he’s still relatively young for such a high-profile role. At 41, he’s poised to step into the role at City after having retired from playing just eight years ago.
Begiristain, who gave his best years to Barcelona and later Manchester City, is stepping down at the age of 60 after staying longer than initially planned. Viana not only has the credentials to follow in Begiristain’s footsteps but also the time to guide Manchester City’s ambitious project into its next phase.
City’s CEO, Ferran Soriano, has emphasized the importance of continuity in the club’s success. “How many coaches have we had in the last 10 years? Two—Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola. How many football directors? One—Txiki Begiristain. That’s a huge part of our success, being consistent and resilient, and not panicking when we lose,” Soriano said in 2023.
In Viana, Manchester City hopes to secure that same level of stability for years to come.
