Latest news with #Guardiola
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Pep Lijnders reflects on Jurgen Klopp relationship after becoming Pep Guardiola's assistant
Pep Lijnders has become Pep Guardiola's new assistant at Manchester City, having previously worked closely with Jurgen Klopp during two spells as the German's assistant at Liverpool Pep Guardiola's decision to bring in Pep Lijnders as his assistant at Manchester City could be a match made in heaven - or hell. Lijnders' new boss has a reputation for being a manager who always listens intently to the advice given to him by his backroom staff before ignoring it completely. But Lijnders, the Dutchman who was such an important sounding board for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool during a six-year period in which the German became the only bulwark between Guardiola and total Premier League domination, is not someone who accepts being ignored. When the 42-year-old was invited to return as Klopp's right-hand man in the summer of 2018, just six months after he walked out of Anfield to become head coach of NEC Nijmegen, he insisted he would only accept the offer if he was given more responsibility. Klopp did what Guardiola must now do at the Etihad by delegating tasks to Lijnders that would have normally come under his remit. One of those jobs was to manage Liverpool in the Carabao Cup - including a tie against City at the Etihad in December 2022 in which Guardiola's team prevailed 3-2. Lijnders explained: 'When Liverpool asked me back after NEC, I would never have taken the job if I had just been offered the chance to go back as No 2. I was given a lot more responsibility. 'Jurgen made me do press conferences, match discussions - basically everything he did himself. He always said 'we do this job together' - and that's really how it was.' It is understood that when he made a call to Klopp asking the former Liverpool manager whether Lijnders would be a good fit alongside him at the Etihad, the German warned that he would quickly become restless if he was asked to do nothing more strenuous than put out the cones for training. Guardiola is a notorious control freak. The churn of backroom coaches during his nine seasons at the Etihad is eye-opening considering City have won six titles in that time. Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca were bold enough to stand their ground - and are now the respective managers of Arsenal and Chelsea. At the end of last season, even after losing the respected Carlos Vicens to Portuguese club Braga, Guardiola pressed ahead with his plan to bring new voices into his club. Both Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez departed, with both men still unable to speak English with enough authority to converse freely with City's players. They have been replaced by former City defender Kolo Toure, a hugely popular figure at the Etihad after returning to the club to work with the Under-18s team, and former Liverpool set-piece coach James French. But it was Lijnders who was constantly in Guardiola's ear during the Club World Cup this summer and the hope is that he will re-energise City's squad with new ideas after a season which saw them limp to third in the Premier League and lose to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Final. The Dutchman also has something to prove after being sacked as coach of Austrian club RB Salzburg last December - just a few weeks before Klopp was officially unveiled as Red Bull 's head of global soccer. One of Lijnders final acts in his last week at Anfield last year was to stand on a barstool in a hotel bar to sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' in front of a group of Liverpool fans. He might be advised to learn the words to 'Blue Moon.'
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Guardiola wants to bring Ter Stegen to Man City: Reports
dpa Madrid Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants to bring Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to his team, according to several media reports. Ter Stegen, currently at Barcelona, is Guardiola's preferred candidate to replace current starting keeper Ederson, who is flirting with a move to Saudi Arabia or the Serie A, the newspaper El Nacional said on Thursday. According to the reports, first talks over the transfer have already been held. 'Guardiola appreciates Ter Stegen's style of play and experience, especially his qualities in building up the game, his tactical intelligence and his calmness in goal - all qualities that fit perfectly with his style,' El Nacional wrote. Last week, Spanish newspapers said that Ter Stegen is to be only the third-choice goalkeeper at Barcelona in the upcoming season. The Sport newspaper said that coach Hansi Flick has already told the German that Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny are the first two options ahead of him. Szczesny stood in for Ter Stegen after the latter suffered a major knee injury in September and was sidelined for about seven months. The Mundo Deportivo newspaper, meanwhile, said that Flick isn't even counting on the German goalkeeper for the new season. Ter Stegen reportedly feels at home in Barcelona and in principle wants to fulfil his contract until 2028. However, due to the 2026 World Cup, he can't afford to spend a season on the bench and risk losing his starting position at the Germany national team. As Barcelona started the pre-season preparations, Ter Stegen has only completed individual sessions in the fitness room. The official reason for his absence from team training is back issues. Chelsea, Manchester United, Galatasaray and Monaco are reportedly interested in signing Ter Stegen.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'I don't play for City yet' – Midfielder casts doubt over Etihad Stadium transfer
Manchester City supporters' hope of a swift conclusion to a transfer of Norwegian wonderkid Sverre Nypan have been thrown into doubt. City have been working on a deal for the 18-year-old central midfielder as Hugo Viana progresses a major change of guard at the Etihad Stadium after replacing Txiki Begiristain as director of football earlier this summer. Viana has already overseen the arrival(s) of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Cherki in this transfer window, with Manchester City making an early statement of intent ahead of the new season after enduring a sub-par 2024-25 campaign. A meagre third-place Premier League, a Round of 16 exit in the UEFA Champions League and defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final in the recent campaign has prompted officials at the Etihad Stadium to conduct a ruthless audit of Guardiola's first-team squad. After a strong start to the transfer window, Manchester City are understood to have won the race to sign Sverre Nypan from Rosenborg for an amount that is set to record the highest transfer fee paid for a player coming out of Norway. Manchester City's midfield has already undergone major change in this window, with Reijnders and Cherki joining in after club bosses decided against offering a new deal to Kevin De Bruyne, who has joined Napoli on a free transfer after agreeing a two-year contract with the newly-crowned Serie A champions. After returning home from their FIFA Club World Cup commitments in the United States in June, Viana and co are believed to be shifted their focus on outgoings to streamline Guardiola's bloated squad and cut the first-team wage bill before the new Premier League campaign begins in August. City have already sold Kyle Walker to Burnley in a deal that could fetch the club £5 million. Maximo Perrone is set to join Como on a permanent deal, with James McAtee also expected to leave permanently. Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish have been told to find new clubs, with at least one centre-half also expected to depart before the window closes on September 1. Speaking to a young supporter earlier this month, Sverre Nypan insisted that while he 'does not play for (Manchester) City yet', there remains a chance of joining the Etihad Stadium club in what he described as a 'maybe' possibility. When quizzed by the young fan on why joining Manchester City could only be described as a 'maybe' for now, Nypan continued, 'I don't know we'll see, it's not done.' Borussia Dortmund have also expressed an interest in Nypan, who has established himself as one of Europe's brightest midfield prospects in recent seasons, which could well see him link up with Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium when the new season begins. It remains to be seen whether Nypan is considered as an immediate addition to Guardiola's squad amid uncertainty over the future of Ilkay Gundogan, who has attracted interest from Turkey despite wanting to stay on at Manchester City after returning to the club from Barcelona in dramatic, last-minute fashion last summer.
News18
15-07-2025
- Business
- News18
Manchester City Record-Breakers Again! Sign Unseen £1 Billion Kit Deal With Puma
Last Updated: Manchester City extended their kit deal with Puma in a record £1 billion agreement, the most lucrative in Premier League history. Manchester City have announced a long-term extension of their kit partnership with German sportswear giant Puma, in a deal that British media reports value at approximately £1 billion ($1.35 billion) — the most lucrative kit contract in Premier League history. The new agreement will reportedly run for at least 10 years, earning City around £100 million per year. That figure marks a significant increase from their previous contract with Puma, signed in 2019, which was worth £65 million annually. This record-breaking deal is expected to set a new standard for kit manufacturer agreements among English clubs, overtaking Manchester United's 10-year, £900 million deal with Adidas, which was finalized in 2023. Manchester City's recent dominance has undoubtedly played a role in the staggering value of the new agreement. Since 2020, the club has captured four consecutive Premier League titles and celebrated a historic treble — winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League — during the 2022–23 season. While City fell short of major silverware last season, their sustained excellence and global appeal have made them one of the most marketable football brands in the world. Guardiola's City fell short of winning the Premier League for the fifth time in a row, finishing third in the English top-flight. They also failed to reach the Champions League's round of 16, being eliminated by Real Madrid in the knockout phase playoffs. And as the final insult to injury, in a huge upset, Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal defeated Manchester City to knock the title favourites out of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as well. Looking ahead, City will kick off their 2025–26 Premier League campaign with an away fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 16. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New York Times
15-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Man City announce Kolo Toure as assistant coach after impressing at Club World Cup
Kolo Toure has been appointed as an assistant coach to Pep Guardiola on a permanent basis after a successful period with the Manchester City first team at the Club World Cup. The Ivorian defender, who made over 350 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City, was promoted in June after working with the club's under-18 group. Advertisement He had impressed the academy with his personality and three coaching staff departures in one summer presented an opportunity for Toure to step up and help Guardiola's squad. It was initially a temporary arrangement but his month-long stint, which included some work with the defensive unit, has convinced the club that he will add to the group. 'We're delighted to permanently add Kolo to our first team coaching staff,' said Man City sporting director Hugo Viana. 'Not only does he bring his immensely precious experience at football's elite level, but he also has a deep connection with Manchester City and a deep knowledge of the Club. 'We've also been hugely impressed with his work and success with our Under-18s, and by adding him into our senior staff permanently, this will only strengthen the transition for players in our Academy into the first team. 'As we already saw throughout his time with Pep Guardiola, Pep Lijnders and James French this summer, his massive personality of optimism and positivity is hugely infectious and we're already looking forward to his work moving forward.' Analysis by Jordan Campbell Guardiola lost three members of backroom staff in Juanma Lillo, Carlos Vicens and Inigo Dominguez this summer, and replaced them with former Liverpool duo Pep Lijnders and James French. Toure's permanent appointment means City now have the same number of coaches around Guardiola but, given their defensive struggles in recent times, it will be hoped his experience can contribute to an improvement in that area. He was Ivory Coast under-23 manager before becoming assistant of the senior men's national team but his first and only experience of being a number one came at Wigan Athletic from November 2022, where he lasted less than two months after not winning any of his nine games in charge. Advertisement Guardiola is used to re-shuffling his support staff, so this is nothing new. Mikel Arteta spent almost four years at City before taking over at Arsenal in 2019, while Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca spent a season with Guardiola before moving to Leicester City. Domenec Torrent and Rodolfo Borrell left City in 2018 and 2023, respectively, having been on Guardiola's staff at his previous clubs too.
