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Pep Guardiola to miss next two Man City games due to back surgery in Barcelona; Juanma Lillo takes temporary charge Watch Sheff Utd vs Man City live on Super Sunday, 2pm kickoff
Manchester City's manager, Pep Guardiola, will not be present for the team's upcoming two Premier League matches as he recently underwent back surgery in Barcelona. The Premier League champions released a statement stating that Guardiola has been dealing with persistent back pain and had to undergo emergency surgery in Barcelona.
Guardiola's surgery went well, but he will undergo his recovery in the city. The 52-year-old is anticipated to return to the touchline for City only after the international break, which implies that he will not be present for this Sunday's match against Sheffield United, broadcast live on We, as well as the encounter with Fulham on September 2.
Sheffield United
Manchester City
Sunday 27th August 1:00pm
Kick off 2:00pm
While he is away, Juanma Lillo, who rejoined the club as an assistant manager just a few weeks ago following his tenure as Al Sadd manager in Qatar, will be responsible for overseeing both training sessions and matches for the triple champions.
Man City have previously experienced situations where they had to manage without their manager, ever since Guardiola's arrival at the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2016. In the middle of 2018, Guardiola faced a Champions League touchline ban and entrusted Mikel Arteta to take charge during the team's match against Lyon in September of that same year. Unfortunately, City ended up losing the group-stage game with a score of 2-1.
In early 2022, Guardiola was unable to participate in a FA Cup third round match against Swindon Town as he had contracted coronavirus. Assistant coach Lillo was also unable to attend, leaving assistant coach Rodolfo Borrell to assume control. Remarkably, despite 14 backroom staff and seven first-team players isolating due to Covid-19, City emerged victorious with a 4-1 result.
Man City have been without Pep before...
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Juan Manuel Lillo is set to step in Guardiola
Begun his coaching journey at a young age
Without any playing experience to rely on, Lillo embarked on his coaching career at just 16 years old by joining Amaroz KE, a local team in the Basque region of northern Spain. After spending four years there, he went on to take the helm of Tolosa CF, his hometown club in the Spanish fourth division.
Lillo's breakthrough came in 1992 when he moved up to Salamanca after spending years in the lower divisions of Spanish football. In just three years, he successfully led the team from the third division to LaLiga.
Expanding his horizons.
After spending almost 25 years solely in his home country Spain, Lillo made a move to the Mexican team Dorados de Sinaloa in the mid-2000s. Among the players he coached was Guardiola, who was nearing the end of his successful playing career.
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Guardiola poses with Lillo and Diego Latorre
, Lillo has had a relentless passion for travel. Throughout his career, he has successfully managed teams in Colombia, Japan, China, and Qatar. Previous to his current position, he served as an assistant to Jorge Sampaoli for the Chile national team. Lillo is currently embarking on his second tenure under the guidance of Guardiola at Manchester City. Together, they share a profound connection and shared objectives.
Lillo joined the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2020, succeeding Mikel Arteta as head coach. This came after he led Qingdao Huanghai to promotion in the Chinese Super League. However, he left City before their treble-winning season to become the head coach of Al Sadd. Recently, he returned to City.
Txiki Begiristain, the director of football, stated that the vision of the individual in question is fully synchronized with Pep's. Both individuals share a profound passion for the sport and aim for their respective teams to demonstrate exceptional, attacking football.
Lillo's high value became evident before City granted him a temporary promotion, as Guardiola is anticipated to return to his coaching position in the middle of next month after the international break. Guardiola expressed high admiration for Lillo upon his return to the north-west, commending his diligent approach and noting, "Juanma possesses a unique ability to perceive aspects of the game that no one else does."
He possesses an extraordinary understanding of football, making him an ideal individual for me to collaborate with. His meticulousness in preparing for matches is truly astonishing. I am confident that he will elevate the standards as he diligently works every day.
