Manchester City have a new football director.
“Cickey Behirstein will step down as football director at Manchester City after the 2024-25 season. Behirstein, who has played at the Etihad Stadium for 12 years, will leave Manchester City after the FIFA Club World Cup. Sporting’s Ugu Viana will follow. Viana plans to start her career as football director in the summer of 2025,” the club said on its website.
Behirstein is the most famous director. Having played for Real Sociedad and Barcelona as a player and also represented Spain, Behirstein served as a sports director at Barcelona after his retirement. After connecting with Pep Guardiola, Behirstein moved to Manchester City in 2012. He created the system in Manchester City, where he invested huge amounts of money under the manager Mansour.
In addition to recruiting based on the future, not indiscriminate recruitment, he created a solid system and operated Manchester City. He worked with Guardiola again and displayed numerous trophies in the cabinet. During Behirstein’s time, Manchester City made tremendous progress and became one of the strongest Premier League clubs and most popular European clubs.
Behirstein decided to leave Manchester City after the end of this season. Manchester City quickly found a replacement. It is Viana. Viana has been a Sporting Director since 2018. After he came, Sporting succeeded in winning two Portuguese Liga titles. Sporting is called a Portuguese colossus and prospect report along with Benfica, and it is said that Viana has improved even more.
Viana, who has become a director in Europe’s spotlight, also showed interest in Aston Villa and Newcastle United, but refused. Manchester City did not reject Manchester City’s offer. Viana, who will come to Manchester City, will not take over immediately, but will reportedly work with Behirstein in the coming months to take over.
Viana’s immediate task and Behirstein’s task before retirement is to renew Guardiola’s contract. Guardiola has yet to sign the re-contract as his contract expires soon. Both Behirstein and Viana will work together to catch 꽁머니. From Manchester City’s point of view, Viana will feel more stable working with Guardiola than with a new director and a new coach in the 2025-26 season.