I will do my best to help continue City’s incredible journey – Viana | OneFootball

Hugo Viana said he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to work at Manchester City and alongside a great manager and an exciting squad.

The Portuguese was announced as our new Director of Football in October 2024, working alongside Txiki Begiristain before taking over the role.

Viana had been in a similar role at Sporting CP before returning to the Premier League where he spent some of his playing career when he was at Newcastle.

Speaking to City Studios, he said that he has enjoyed his first few months in the position and that he is ready for the challenge of keeping City at the top.

“It is so good to be here and of course I will do my best with everyone to continue this journey that has been so good," he said in an interview with City Studios.

“I was really happy [at Sporting] – it was almost seven years, but of course, when you have this opportunity to be working for a huge club and a huge organisation [like Manchester City], with these kind of people next to you, like Ferran [Soriano], like Pep [Guardiola] and also I had the great pleasure to be  alongside Txiki for eight or nine months, so it's been amazing.

“[Txiki] was a really important person [regarding] my decision and I'm proud and I'm confident at the same time.

“It's a pleasure to work with these kind of players and also the best coach in the world and also Ferran. It's been amazing for the club and also CFG what has been built here is so, so amazing."

It’s important that he shares the same vision as City Chief Executive Soriano and head coach Guardiola and Viana has no doubts that it is the case.

“I feel comfortable, I feel confident, and I think they [Ferran and Pep] are also - otherwise I would not be here!” he added.

“Of course, I’ve know Ferran for a long time - more than Pep - and Txiki also - and as I say, Txiki was a really important person on my decision.

“But of course, the football director, the CEO and the coach have to be in alignment, and we are very much in alignment to continue our journey. There is a pathway to do it, and we are very confident."

On player recruitment, Viana is following in the footsteps of Begiristain, who made some of the best signings in City’s history including the likes Kevin De Bruyne, Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan among an exhaustive list of serial winners.

The new director of football says City’s scouting department leave no stone unturned when it comes to making signings.

"[It’s important to have] the right recruitment and scouting department at the football club and also nowadays it's really important to have a really good data department,” Viana said.

“I think the club is also really good on that - a very good department and I'm happy and grateful to have the help from them.

“We spend to do a lot analysis on all the players and of course we have to listen, we have to analyse and go into the process and make the right decisions.

“We have to identify the positions that the team need to be better and during that process we have a lot of meetings with Pep and then with the scouting department.

“But nowadays, we can speak about talent, the right characteristics to any position we are looking for.

“But I would mention players with the evolution of the game, the intensity of the game also. We need to have players with the right physicality and are physically reliable, it’s really important in the Premier League.”