What is certain, though, is that Guardiola will now have to look to the future and bring in new faces to replace Borrell and Maresca.
He may even look to the past, with former Man City midfielder Mikel Arteta a potential candidate for the role of assistant manager.
Arteta has been out of work since leaving Arsenal in March, and has already been linked with a return to the Etihad.
The Spaniard worked under Guardiola for three years between 2016 and 2019, and could be the perfect fit to fill the void left by Borrell and Maresca.
He has already gained experience as a manager at Arsenal, and his knowledge of Guardiola’s methods could be invaluable.
Conclusion
Pep Guardiola is facing a summer of change at Man City, with two of his closest assistants having left in as many weeks. Rodolfo Borrell, formerly Liverpool academy director, is the latest to depart, following Enzo Maresca’s move to Leicester. Guardiola may look to the past for replacements, with former Man City midfielder Mikel Arteta a potential candidate for the role of assistant manager. It remains to be seen how this will affect Man City’s performance on the pitch, but it could be a difficult period for Guardiola as he looks to rebuild both his playing squad and his staff.
Pep Guardiola’s Summer of Change at Man City
Introduction
Pep Guardiola is facing a summer of change at Man City, with two of his closest assistants having left in as many weeks. Rodolfo Borrell, formerly Liverpool academy director, is the latest to depart, following Enzo Maresca’s move to Leicester.
Ilkay Gundogan Leaves for Barcelona
Ilkay Gundogan has left for Barcelona, while Kyle Walker has a strong chance of joining Bayern Munich and Bernardo Silva has an offer from Saudi Arabia. Off the pitch, too, Guardiola is losing key members of his staff. Earlier in June, first-team coach Enzo Maresca was confirmed as the new manager of Leicester, following their relegation to the Championship.
Rodolfo Borrell Departs Man City
Now, according to The Athletic, Borrell is leaving Manchester to take up the role of sporting director of MLS franchise Austin FC. It comes after nine years with Man City and 14 in England, having left his job at Liverpool to join the state-funded club in 2014. Borrell initially joined Liverpool in 2009 as part of Rafa Benitez’s staff, arriving as under-18s coach before progressing to the under-21s and then, in 2012, the role of academy director. He held a similar position upon his switch to Man City, but was then promoted to be Guardiola’s assistant manager in 2016.
Impact on Rivals
From the perspective of Man City‘s rivals, this could be seen as either a positive or negative development. On one hand, it could present Guardiola with an unwanted rebuild both in his playing squad and his staff; on the other, it could replicate Alex Ferguson’s approach at Man United of regularly refreshing his backroom. The hope will be that this leads to a loss of stability at the Etihad, at a time when the club are under investigation by the Premier League over 115 financial charges.
Carlos Vicens Remains
Now, though, Guardiola is left without two of his three closest assistants, with only Carlos Vicens left as it stands. Vicens may even be on the move this summer, too, with suggestions the Spaniard’s contract will expire this summer and having already, very briefly, left a year ago to become manager at Heracles Almelo before returning.
Potential Replacements
What is certain, though, is that Guardiola will now have to look to the future and bring in new faces to replace Borrell and Maresca. He may even look to the past, with former Man City midfielder Mikel Arteta a potential candidate for the role of assistant manager. Arteta has been out of work since leaving Arsenal in March, and has already been linked with a return to the Etihad. The Spaniard worked under Guardiola for three years between 2016 and 2019, and could be the perfect fit to fill the void left by Borrell and Maresca. He has already gained experience as a manager at Arsenal, and his knowledge of Guardiola’s methods could be invaluable.
Conclusion
It remains to be seen how this will affect Man City’s performance on the pitch, but it could be a difficult period for Guardiola as he looks to rebuild both his playing squad and his staff.