Pep Guardiola rips up Man City coaching staff! Club confirm departure of assistants Juanma Lillo & Inigo Dominguez in bid to bring fresh ideas

Lillo, a close confidant and long-time collaborator of Guardiola, will not be part of City’s future plans. The 58-year-old Spanish tactician originally joined the club in 2020 and was a key figure in the technical area during a dominant spell for the team. He left briefly in 2022 to manage Qatari club Al-Sadd but returned to City in 2023 for a second term as assistant coach. His contract has now expired, and both parties have opted not to renew it.

Joining Lillo through the exit door is Dominguez. Over the past two seasons, Dominguez has contributed in various support roles, working closely with the first-team players and Guardiola on a day-to-day basis. Whereas, Carlos Vicens, another key figure in Guardiola’s setup, is also moving on - this time to pursue his own managerial ambitions.

The Spaniard, who began his tenure at City in 2017, steadily rose through the ranks, starting with the youth teams and eventually earning a spot in the first-team coaching structure. Having been responsible for set-piece strategy and gaining growing influence over the squad’s tactical details, Vicens has now been appointed the head coach of Braga in Portugal.

The departure of three senior coaches is not merely coincidental but part of a broader strategy orchestrated by Guardiola himself. Renowned for continuously evolving his footballing philosophies, the City boss is believed to be keen on refreshing his staff with new thinkers who can challenge and contribute to the team’s continuous tactical refinement.

With the Club World Cup looming in mid-June, City must make new additions to the coaching team as quickly as possible. After a disappointing domestic and European campaign, City will look to salvage their season by adding a trophy to their illustrious collection on the global stage in the United States.