Manchester City lose their 'architect' and set off 'alarm bells' around Pep Guardiola

Manchester City will experience the end of an era once the current season ends. Txiki Begiristain, director of football for the 'skyblue' club, will leave his post in June 2025. The executive had made the decision to step aside when he was over 60 years old, and once he reached this mark, he has decided to leave his position and the club has supported him.

This is reported by 'The Athletic', where they assure that Begiristain's idea was to retire at the age of 55 but "he was so involved in the team alongside Guardiola" that he extended his link with the Manchester club for five more years. In the same way, the English newspaper also clarified that the decision has no relation to the investigation and possible sanction that surrounds the Manchester club.

Will Pep Guardiola follow in Begiristain's footsteps?

Txiki, who was also sporting director of FC Barcelona during Joan Laporta's first term, took up this role at the Etihad Stadium in October 2012 and has since played a key role in Manchester City's growth and expansion process. During his time there, he has worked with three coaches (Guardiola, Pellegrini and Mancini), but it was with the Sampedor coach that he achieved almost absolute domination of the Premier League and the first Champions League in the club's history.

The link between the Catalan coach and the executive is quite close, so doubts about Pep's future have skyrocketed after learning of Begiristain's departure. "Whatever has to happen, will happen," said Guardiola himself regarding his fate, which as of Tuesday, October 8, is more up in the air than ever.