Revealed: Pep Guardiola’s first-choice assistant manager at Manchester City amid ill health for colleague | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola had plans to promote one member of his previous backroom staff into the role of assistant manager before the hiring of Pepijn Lijnders this summer.

Lijnders arrived at the Etihad following a short managerial stint at RB Salzburg. Prior to his time in Austria, the Dutchman earned widespread recognition during his years at Liverpool as assistant to Jürgen Klopp, where he played a key role in the club’s major trophy wins.

Manchester City opted to bring Pep Lijnders into their dugout as part of a significant reshuffle to Pep Guardiola’s staff over the course of the ongoing summer — a change driven by both departures and long-term planning.

It has now emerged that Carlos Vicens, who has since left Manchester City to become head coach of SC Braga, was Pep Guardiola’s preferred choice to step up as assistant manager for the 2025/26 season.

Those internal plans never materialised due to Vicens’ own career ambitions amid a contractual offer on the table from City, as he ultimately opted to pursue a first senior coaching role in Portuguese football at the end of the last campaign.

As revealed by The Athletic’s Sam Lee, Vicens took on additional responsibility partway through last season’s difficulties at Manchester City, splitting his time as an assistant and his existing position.

Despite the challenges of balancing commitments, and City’s arguable failure to revive their campaign, the report says that Pep Guardiola had intended to make Vicens his full-time assistant manager for the 2025/26 season, alongside another addition, as far back as January.

As for his long-standing assistant in Juanma Lillo, sources have revealed the 59-year-old was feeling in need of a rest and had missed some games towards the end of the last season through ill health.

However, it is clarified that while the former Manchester City assistant manager is not thought to have any serious issues concerning his personal health, he now intends to spend time in Spain with family after departing the Etihad Stadium earlier this summer.

Last season proved to be a testing one for Pep Guardiola’s side, who relinquished their Premier League crown to Liverpool after a challenging winter period derailed their momentum.

A poor run of form in November and December 2024 effectively ended their hopes of securing major silverware, with the club ultimately fighting to secure a top-four finish in the final months of the campaign.

With Vicens now gone and Lillo stepping away, the arrival of Lijnders ushers in a new phase of Pep Guardiola’s coaching setup. Manchester City are expected to benefit from his proven tactical acumen and familiarity with elite-level football, particularly as they attempt to bounce back from a disappointing domestic season and reignite their pursuit of top honours.

Guardiola, whose current contract runs until the end of the 2026/27 season, will be hoping this backroom reshuffle injects new energy into the squad and helps lay the foundation for success in what may be the final chapter of his City tenure — unless another renewal is agreed.