Juanma Lillo managed 19 different clubs and is now Pep Guardiola’s assistant

Man City: Guardiola to miss next two matches after routine back surgery

There will be a new face in the technical area for Manchester City’s next two matches, with Juanma Lillo set to replace Pep Guardiola on a short-term basis. The latter recently underwent surgery on a minor back problem and is expected to miss City’s games against Sheffield United and Fulham while he recovers.

Lillo will take charge of City in Guardiola’s absence and has plenty of experience in the dugout, having managed a total of 19 teams throughout his career. He never played professional football and started coaching as a teenager, allowing him to learn the ropes at a younger age than many of his peers.

Born in the northern Spanish town of Tolosa, Lillo initially coached at a local level before taking over his hometown club at the age of 20. He went on to earn his first promotion in charge of CD Mirandes, guiding them to the third tier as champions in 1989.

Lillo made his name at UD Salamanca, who he sensationally took to La Liga during his four-year spell at the club. The achievement made him the youngest manager in the history of Spain’s top flight at just 29, but he was dismissed in the middle of their first season at that level after failing to steer clear of the drop zone.

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He then managed several other La Liga clubs, including the likes of Real Oviedo and CD Tenerife, before a horror spell at Real Zaragoza led to his sacking after just three months. This led Lillo to take a break from coaching with a move into punditry before returning to manage several other Spanish teams.

Real Sociedad and Almeria were among the highest-profile clubs Lillo worked at before taking another extended break, after which he managed Colombian outfit Millionarios for less than a year. A spell as Chile’s assistant manager under Jorge Sampaoli then followed before moving to Sevilla in 2016, where he worked under the same head coach.

Lillo’s move to City came about in 2020 when he was drafted in to replace Mikel Arteta, who had previously left the club to manage Arsenal. The Spaniard was tempted back into full management last year when he took over at Qatari side Al-Sadd, although his time on their books was short-lived and he rejoined City’s coaching team earlier this month.

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Now 57 years of age, Lillo will take charge of his first Premier League match when City face Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon. He is a highly respected figure at the Etihad Stadium and is a trusted aide of Guardiola, who sung his praises upon his return to Manchester this summer.

“Juanma sees things no one else in the game sees,” said Guardiola. “He understands football on an incredible level, so he is the perfect person for me to work alongside. I have always been inspired by him, his knowledge of football, his intelligence and his humanity mark him out as a very special person in my life.

“We have a shared ideology. He is a friend, a colleague and an inspiration. I am so, so happy he is back here at Manchester City. His preparation for matches is absolutely amazing. I know he will raise standards because he works so hard every single day.”

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