Txiki Begiristain (left) has been at Manchester City for 12 years (Picture: Getty Images)
Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain is set to step down from his role and leave the club at the end of the season, according to reports.
The Spaniard has been at the club for 12 years, joining from Barcelona in October 2012, and it has been an incredible period of success since then.
While Begiristain has been in Manchester the Cityzens have won the Premier League seven times, including the last four, along with the Champions League, two FA Cup and six League Cups.
However, now at 60 years old, the former Spain international is stepping down from his position at the Etihad, which has been planned, report The Athletic.
Begiristain was first thinking of leaving the position behind him five years ago but was tempted to stay on and continue his work with Pep Guardiola.
The pair go a long, long way back, with Begiristain working as director of football at Barcelona when Guardiola was in charge, but they even knew each other as players as they were teammates at the Camp Nou.
Guardiola’s current contract with the club expires at the end of the season and with Begiristain moving on, that will only increase speculation that the manager will follow him out of the Etihad.
Txiki Begiristain has been involved in incredible success at Barcelona and Manchester City (Picture: Getty Images)
Speaking in 2021, Guardiola said of his friend: ‘One of the reasons I extended my contract two times is because Txiki is here.
‘We work together incredibly well. When we win, we try to analyse why. When we lose we try to analyse why. We don’t judge the other one. We both work for the best for this club.
‘Above all that, he is the most humble person I ever met. He never goes to the media. Always, the success is for the other ones. He is always behind the scenes.
‘You don’t find these type of people in this world because their egos are always so high- and I put myself as an example [of that].
Begiristain and Guardiola in 2008 at Barcelona (Picture: Getty Images)
‘He always gives the credit to the players, to the manager, for the chairman, and the CEO. That’s why it’s a pleasure working with him because I can do my job completely free, accepting the good moments and the bad moments and sharing together.
‘In the bad moments we are closer than ever and in good moments we celebrate together with a glass of wine. That’s why it’s a joy to work here with people like Txiki.’
The new director of football has already been appointed and will start early next year, according to The Atheltic’s report, although the identity of the new person for the key role was not revealed.
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