Manchester City have confirmed that three senior members of Pep Guardiola’s long-serving backroom staff will leave the club this summer, marking the end of an era behind the scenes at the Etihad Stadium.
The departures of Lorenzo Buenaventura, Xabier Mancisidor and Manuel Estiarte were announced shortly after Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League loss to Aston Villa, an afternoon already filled with emotion as supporters said goodbye to Guardiola, Bernardo Silva and John Stones.
Although the exits had been expected for several weeks, the official confirmation underlined the scale of change currently unfolding at City.
Guardiola’s departure was always likely to trigger a wider reshaping of the football structure, given how closely his coaching staff had become associated with the identity and success of his reign.
For nearly a decade, Guardiola’s inner circle has operated with remarkable continuity. The relationships within that group stretched beyond football responsibilities, helping create a culture that delivered multiple Premier League titles, domestic trophies and European success.
Now, with incoming manager Enzo Maresca preparing to take charge, City face not only a transition in the dugout but also the task of rebuilding the support network that surrounded one of the most successful managers in modern football.
Trusted figures leave alongside Guardiola
Buenaventura’s departure perhaps best symbolises the longevity of Guardiola’s coaching operation.
The fitness coach has worked with Guardiola since their days together at Barcelona, later following him to Bayern Munich before joining Manchester City in 2016.
Throughout Guardiola’s time in England, City became known for sustaining relentless physical standards despite demanding schedules across several competitions.
Buenaventura played a central role in maintaining those levels, with his work widely respected inside the club.
His influence extended far beyond conditioning drills and recovery programmes. Players frequently credited the coaching staff’s attention to detail for helping City maintain consistency during periods of fixture congestion, particularly in title-winning campaigns where the team’s intensity rarely dropped.
Goalkeeping coach Mancisidor, meanwhile, arrived at City in 2020 and quickly became another important figure within Guardiola’s staff.
During his time at the club, he oversaw significant changes in the goalkeeping department, including the integration of Stefan Ortega Moreno and, more recently, Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Donnarumma openly praised the environment created by Guardiola and his staff after arriving at the club, saying it was something that “until you live it, you’ll never understand”.
That comment reflected the strong bond many players developed with the coaching group, whose influence often extended into areas beyond tactics and training sessions.
Among the departing trio, Estiarte has long been regarded as Guardiola’s closest confidant. A former elite water polo player, the Spaniard has followed Guardiola throughout his managerial journey and occupied a unique position inside each club they worked at together.
Officially serving as head of sport, Estiarte’s contribution has frequently been described in broader terms.
Part mentor, part motivator and part trusted adviser, he became one of Guardiola’s most influential sounding boards during both triumphs and setbacks.
His importance within Guardiola’s circle was evident throughout City’s most successful years, particularly during periods when pressure and expectation intensified around the club’s pursuit of major honours.
Maresca faces fresh challenge at City
The simultaneous departure of Guardiola and three senior staff members leaves Manchester City facing one of the most significant transitional moments of the modern era.
Enzo Maresca will inherit not only a squad in need of evolution but also a football department undergoing major reconstruction behind the scenes.
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Replacing experienced figures who helped shape the club’s methods over many years will be one of the first major tests of the new regime.
Maresca already understands the demands of the environment after previously working within Guardiola’s coaching setup, but building an entirely new support structure presents a different challenge altogether.
The Italian is expected to appoint his own staff as City attempt to begin a new chapter while preserving the standards established under Guardiola.
That balancing act may prove crucial in determining how quickly the club can adapt to life after one of the most influential managerial periods in its history.
Director of football Hugo Viana is expected to oversee much of that process during a summer that already promises sweeping changes across several areas of the club.
