BREAKING: Txiki Begiristain to leave Manchester City at the end of the season | OneFootball

Manchester City sporting director Txiki Begiristain is set to leave the club at the end of the ongoing 2024/25 season, according to reports.

Upon his retirement from football in 1999 at the age of 35-years-old, Begiristain first worked as a commentator for Televisió de Catalunya before becoming director of football at his former club, FC Barcelona in 2003.

Having parted ways with the Camp Nou side in 2010, Begiristain then took on the new challenge of becoming sporting director at Manchester City, as the now-Premier League heavyweights were structuring their masterplan for the future.

Since arriving into the role in October 2012, Begiristain has overseen multiple squad builds under three different managers, but most notably under Pep Guardiola and the pair have worked closely in constructing teams that have claimed every piece of silverware available.

Now, having worked with Manchester City and a number of other long-standing officials at the Etihad Stadium for the last 12 years, it has been indicated that Txiki Begiristain’s time at the club will come to an end in 2025.

According to the information of The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Manchester City’s long-standing director of football, Txiki Begiristain is expected to leave the club at end of the ongoing season.

It is detailed that Begiristain had originally planned to step back from day-to-day operations at Manchester City when he turned 55-years-old, but was so invested in the project and working alongside Pep Guardiola that he extended that to 60-years-old.

Having reached 60 in August, the decision was made with full knowledge and endorsement of the club hierarchy, with Manchester City now believed to have reached an agreement to appoint a replacement, who is due to start in early 2025.

At present it remains to be seen who Manchester City could turn towards in order to replace a figure so integral to the club’s rise to the very top of the European game, with no names emerging as potential successors at present.

It is also remains to be seen whether there is any connection between Txiki Begiristain’s departure at the end of the ongoing season, and the future of Pep Guardiola with the four-time successive Premier League champions.

City Xtra reported in April that while a date for their respective departures remained unknown at the time, Begiristain was planning to simultaneously depart alongside head coach, Pep Guardiola.

However, there is a growing feeling in various quarters now that Guardiola could be having a change of heart when it comes to his own future, and there are whispers in some areas that he could be closing in on a contract renewal at the Etihad Stadium.

Sources close to Guardiola said that he ‘loved’ City fans’ display at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, particularly the Catalan flags accompanying a message from supporters asking for the 54-year-old to stay beyond the end of the ongoing season, when his contract expires.