A Part of Me Will Leave with Begiristain - Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed that a part of him will depart the club when director of football Txiki Begiristain leaves at the end of the season. Begiristain, who has been with City for 12 years, played a crucial role in bringing Guardiola to the club in 2016 and is set to be replaced by Sporting's Hugo Viana.

Guardiola, who previously played alongside Begiristain at Barcelona, emphasized the deep personal connection they share. He remarked, "Part of me is leaving. A friend of mine, an architect who created one of the best teams at Barcelona and here. Personally, he will be missed a lot."

Guardiola credited Begiristain for helping him maintain balance during his tenure, especially in challenging times. "I'm so energetic, and when we lose, I want to destroy everything. He always said, 'take a moment.' We have to move on, and the club will move on."

As the team prepares for their upcoming match against Wolves, Guardiola was also questioned about his future. With his contract set to expire at the end of this season after seven successful years, he mentioned feeling "closer to leaving than staying" following City’s historic achievement of winning four consecutive Premier League titles in May.

Regarding speculation about the England managerial position, Guardiola stated, "It doesn't matter. The club have options when Pep will leave. Sooner or later, it will happen, and they have to prepare. It will not be a surprise." He emphasized his desire to ensure that any decision he makes is in the best interest of the club.

Begiristain's impending exit was confirmed last week, coinciding with a verdict in City's legal case against the Premier League over commercial deal regulations involving club owners. Both parties claimed victory in that case, which is separate from the ongoing Premier League investigation into 115 charges against City for allegedly breaching financial regulations, some of which date back to 2009.