Manchester City Announce Guardiola’s Assistance

English Premier League champions Manchester City have confirmed that Juanma Lillo has joined the club as Pep Guardiola’s No.2. The 54-year-old Spaniard joins from Chinese side Qingdao Huanghai, which he led to the Chinese League One title.

Lillo replaces Mikel Arteta who left in December to become head coach at Arsenal. He has also managed Oviedo, Tenerife, Zaragoza and Real Sociedad, as well as acting as assistant at Chile and Sevilla.

Lillo had coached Guardiola towards the end of his playing career at Mexican side Dorados de Sinaloa. On joining City, Lillo told the club’s official website: “I am delighted to have joined Manchester City’s coaching staff.

“My relationship with Pep goes back many years and I am thrilled to be joining him as part of this exciting team.

“It’s a pleasure to become a part of this group and I hope to make an important contribution to the club’s success going forwards.”

The well-travelled coach’s lack of silverware is something of a running joke in Spanish football but he has been a major influence on many top players

On the face of it, Manchester City’s new management may seem like a mismatch.

In the top job remains Pep Guardiola, who has won league titles in Spain, Germany and England, putting together some of the greatest sides in history in the process.

Soon to be alongside him on the bench will be Juanma Lillo, a wandering journeyman whose 37-year career to date shows a long list of jobs and not a single title, major or minor.

However, City’s new assistant is no footballing incompetent – on the contrary, Pep himself credits Lillo with making a vital contribution to his understanding of the game.

Indeed, Lillo was nothing short of a trailblazer when he first took up coaching, getting his first break at the improbably young age of 17 with local club Amaroz Ke in his native Tolosa before achieving moderate success at a host of lower-league outfits.