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Toure and Lijnders to Follow Guardiola Out of Man City
Five staff members are leaving with Pep Guardiola, and Enzo Maresca is expected to fill the managerial vacancy after City’s decade of domestic dominance ends.
Manchester City confirmed Tuesday that five key backroom staff members will depart following Pep Guardiola's exit after a decade in charge, ending one of football's most dominant eras.
Guardiola's decision to step down at the weekend triggered the cascading departures of his entire support team, as most of his coaching staff opted to follow him out of the club.
Assistant Pep Lijnders spent just one season after arriving from Liverpool where he was Jurgen Klopp's second-in-command; goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor spent 13 years predating Guardiola, while fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura and operations support Manel Estiarte, an Olympic gold medallist, followed Guardiola from Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Italian manager Enzo Maresca is expected to replace Guardiola and will bring his own trusted backroom staff to the Etihad, though set-piece coach James French is anticipated to stay on.
Guardiola urged patience from supporters as Manchester City transitions from one of its most memorable decades, with the club celebrating his legacy at the Co-op Live Arena over the bank holiday weekend.