Manchester City announced the return of Juanma Lillo earlier today.
Juanma Lillo returns to City as part of @PepTeam’s backroom staff ✍️
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 4, 2023
Lillo left the club in 2022 to become Head Coach of Al-Sadd in Qatar. However, he was a much respected member of Pep’s coaching team before his departure.
Before his first stint at City, he had a wonderfully rich career and has coached some of the best talent in world football.
He coached Pep Guardiola himself towards the backend of his playing career. Later going on to work with Iniesta and Yaya.
At 57-years-old now, he has had a long career and was once the youngest ever La Liga coach. He eventually joined the Blues in 2020 following success in China with Qingdao Huanghai, where he helped to secure promotion to the Super League after winning the Chinese League One title.
He saw plenty on success during his two previous seasons at City. While the players and Pep loved working with him, he was crucial to their two successive Premier League titles.
Speaking for Manchester City, Pep said:
“Juanma sees things no one else in the game sees. He understands football on an incredible level, so he is the perfect person for me to work alongside.”
Guardiola added as quoted by ManCity.com:
“I have always been inspired by him – his knowledge of football, his intelligence and his humanity mark him out as a very special person in my life – and we have a shared ideology.
“He is a friend, a colleague and an inspiration. I am so, so happy he is back here at Manchester City.”
