Sporting CP release club statement on incoming Manchester City Director of Football | OneFootball

Manchester City’s incoming Director of Football has had a request to leave Sporting CP earlier than agreed approved by the Portuguese side, it has been announced this week.

The Premier League champions confirmed in early October that they had come to an agreement over the future of the club’s sporting director position that will see Txiki Begiristain bring an end to a 12-season stay at the club in the upcoming summer.

As part of that move, it was confirmed simultaneously that the 60-year-old official would be replaced by 42-year-old Hugo Viana, following a recruitment process that was part-aided by Begiristain himself.

While the belief was that the Sporting director would not be arriving until the summer weeks and months, it emerged during the recent January transfer window that Viana had been working alongside Begiristain on Manchester City’s deals with the pair spotted in Manchester.

Now, it has seemingly been confirmed that the Portuguese official wants his focus firmly centred on the Etihad Stadium following a request to bring an end to his time at Sporting earlier than originally agreed.

A statement issued by the Portuguese giants on Tuesday morning confirmed, “Sporting CP informs that Hugo Viana has requested to bring forward his departure from the club, which was initially scheduled for the end of the current season.”

The statement continued, “Additionally, Sporting CP states that, considering the reasons presented and by mutual agreement, the club’s sporting director stepped down from his role after the closing of the winter transfer window.”

In tribute to a key figure in the club’s recent success, the statement went on to say, “Hugo Viana played a fundamental role in the club’s sporting growth during a period in which Sporting’s first team won several titles: two Primeira Liga championships, three League Cups, one Super Cup, and one Portuguese Cup.

“Sporting president Frederico Varandas’ statement, ‘Hugo Viana’s work over the years has been essential in building a solid and successful sporting project. He played a crucial role in assembling a team that broke barriers and marked one of the most memorable phases in our club’s recent history.’

“The new general director of football, Bernardo Palmeiro, and the new technical and scouting director, Flávio Costa, assume their roles starting today.”

Prior to Sporting and Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League meeting in the group phase of the tournament earlier this season, Txiki Begiristain and Hugo Viana were also spotted greeting one another at the UEFA Youth League meeting between the two clubs.

There is also a belief in various quarters that Viana played a big role in Manchester City’s business executed throughout the January transfer window, with Palmeiras’ manager admitting that he ‘spoke too much’ about Vitor Reis with his close friend in Viana.