“Everyone cheated on me!” – Pep Guardiola reacts to Manchester City coaching staff changes | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has joked about recent changes to his Manchester City backroom coaching structure following another round of alterations this off-season.

Manchester City confirmed earlier this summer that three members of Pep Guardiola’s long-standing coaching structure would be departing their respective roles within the Etihad Stadium via an expiry of contract or to chase up fresh opportunities in the game.

Departing upon the conclusion of their contractual agreement with City were assistant coach Juanma Lillo, who had also expressed a desire to return to his home of Spain, and Inigo Dominguez, a technical coach within the structure.

Also leaving the Etihad operation was Carlos Vicens who, despite being offered the chance to extend his contract with Manchester City, accepted the opportunity to become the new head coach at SC Braga in Portugal.

Speaking to ESPN during the international break, as part of his role as an investor in Monarka Clinic, a medical centre focused on personalised healthcare, manager Pep Guardiola was quizzed on recent exits from his City backroom staff.

“I’m going to lose people that I adore and they mean something, of course, but it happened in the past with many people. In 15 years, a lot left, everyone cheated on me,” the Catalan coach joked.

“But the new ones, younger people and new players, they always bring this energy and this energy revitalises a lot,” he continued. “I need energy for myself and the people give me energy. You see the eyes, new faces, ‘I want to do it,’ ‘I want to be there,’ new little details in the training sessions.

“It’s new energy. Because energy for itself, the energy is one Premier League more, one Champions League more or one Community Shield more? It’s not. It’s not going to change my life one Premier League more or less in my period in Man City, it’s not going to change anything.”

The Manchester City manager continued, “But the [new] people, they give you that [energy] day by day the people. That is the reason why changing players and staff is really good.”

Pep Guardiola is expecting to welcome in new faces almost immediately this summer, and is likely to be working alongside some of his additions to the coaching structure as soon as during the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.

Among the names expecting to be welcomed into the Etihad Stadium is Jurgen Klopp’s hugely successful assistant coach from the German’s time at Liverpool, Pep Lijnders – who has accepted terms from Manchester City recruitment bosses.

There is also believed to be an interest in possibly promoting Kolo Toure into the first-team set-up from his existing position within Manchester City’s Academy system, while Melbourne City Youth’s Alessandro Diamanti is also on the radar for a potential move.