Manchester City

[baitman]

Rats getting their exit strategy sorted...

Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain is set to leave the club at the end of the season.

The 60-year-old Spaniard joined City in 2012 and was instrumental in bringing Pep Guardiola to the club as manager four years later.

Begiristain was a former team-mate of Guardiola at Barcelona and with the Spain national side.

As Barca's director of football, he was influential in Guardiola being named manager in 2008 although he left the Catalan giants two years later.

He has been repeatedly praised by Guardiola for the work he has done behind the scenes with City's recruitment.

Sources told BBC Sport that this season will be his last at the club.

The news comes as Guardiola enters the final months of his current contract.

Asked about his situation on Friday before his side's 3-2 win over Fulham, Guardiola said: "I said at the beginning [of the season that] I'm not going to talk about this subject. What will happen will happen."

With Begiristain, Guardiola and chief executive Ferran Soriano working in tandem, City have become the dominant force in the English game, winning six of the past seven Premier League titles.

Their current run of four in a row is an English league record and in 2023 they became only the second English side to complete the Treble as they won the Champions League for the first time.

This news also comes in a week where there has been a verdict in City's legal case against the Premier League over the league's rules on commercial deals involving clubs' owners, with both sides claiming victory.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx25jy2qpnwo

[Irishnev]

Nothing to see here

[ame="https://twitter.com/martynziegler/status/1852376878637617401"]https://twitter.com/martynziegler/status/1852376878637617401[/ame]

[SB]

The British Embassy in Dubai also asked for the latest Foreign Office guidance around the case in May 2024 after a report that a settlement in the City case could avoid wider political issues.

A few ££’s here & there & this can go away

[baitman]

A few ££’s here & there & this can go away

Rolexes and 6star camel rides for everyone

[SB]

Rolexes and 6star camel rides for everyone

I’d take the Rolex but you can keep the ship of the desert, filled with arab seamen

[Sus]

Guardiola has signed a 1 year extension - hope he likes coaching in League Two

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/nov/19/pep-guardiola-agrees-new-one-year-contract-with-manchester-city?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

[Buzzo]

I’ll bet there are more than a few break clauses!!!

[Sus]

You'd assume so - otherwise would be amazing to see Guardiola turn up for an away match at Yeovil Town, for example (my go to team in Football Manager)

[RedReet]

Today's Guardian says there isn't a relegation release clause.

[Sus]

Yep interesting. Assume there would be some sort of behind the scenes gentleman’s agreement that’s not written down

[Buzzo]

Today's Guardian says there isn't a relegation release clause.

I suppose he can just quit. He’d not get a payoff but I doubt he’s skint. What with all those dodge image right payments etc.

[kingfunk]

Today's Guardian says there isn't a relegation release clause.

Doesn’t need to be if there is a clause he can leave at any time he chooses

[S-RED]

Manc C will try every little way they can to promote the club as best they can during the 130 trial; this is just smoke & mirrors

[RichC]

Cynic in me thinks he knows relegation isn’t going to be one of the punishments hence signs a new deal.

[Exiled_red]

I saw a video from Goldbridge on this, he was saying that the 1 year deal makes no sense other than if they think the dip in form is because of the uncertainty around Guardiola, by him signing a new contract it removes that uncertainty and gets them back to form, before he leaves at the end of the season, as next season would put them back in same position.