Manchester City confirm trio of backroom staff exits in addition to Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Manchester City have confirmed that three of Pep Guardiola’s most trusted backroom staff members will leave the club this summer.

The announcement came shortly after full-time in Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium, a day on which the club bid farewell to Guardiola, Bernardo Silva and John Stones in what became one of the most emotionally charged occasions in the club’s recent history.

The departures of all three staff members had been anticipated for some weeks, with their exits widely viewed as intrinsically linked to Guardiola’s own decision to leave – the Catalan having built a tight-knit, long-serving backroom team whose collective identity has been inseparable from his methods and philosophy throughout his tenure.

Three key figures depart alongside Guardiola

Lorenzo Buenaventura has worked alongside Guardiola since his time at Barcelona, travelling with him to Bayern Munich and then Manchester City as one of the most trusted members of his inner circle.

His role as fitness coach has been central to City’s ability to sustain physical intensity across congested fixture schedules, a quality that defined the club’s most dominant periods under Guardiola.

Xabier Mancisidor joined Manchester City in 2020 and has overseen the goalkeeping department across a period that encompassed the arrivals of Stefan Ortega Moreno and most recently Gianluigi Donnarumma.

His work with Donnarumma in particular drew significant praise from the Italian himself, who described the environment Guardiola and his staff created as something that “until you live it, you’ll never understand”.

Manuel Estiarte is perhaps the most singular figure of the three, a former world-class water polo player who has served as Guardiola’s head of sport and closest personal confidante across all three of his managerial stops.

His role has been described as part psychologist, part motivator, part trusted friend, with his influence extending well beyond any conventional coaching remit.

What does the departure of Guardiola’s staff mean for City?

The loss of Buenaventura, Mancisidor and Estiarte represents a significant reconstruction of the football infrastructure around incoming manager Enzo Maresca, who will now build his own backroom team from the ground up at the Etihad Stadium.

Director of football Hugo Viana will oversee that process as part of what is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential summers in the club’s recent history, with significant squad changes, a new managerial appointment and now a wholesale backroom rebuild all to be managed simultaneously.

For Guardiola himself, the departures complete a clean break from a club he has served with total commitment for ten years.

The staff who travelled that journey with him leave alongside him and like their manager, they leave behind a legacy that will be felt at the Etihad Stadium for many years to come.