Pep Guardiola’s success as a manager is not solely attributed to the exceptional players he has had the privilege to work with.

While it is undeniable that managing star-studded teams like FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City gives him an advantage, Guardiola’s true genius lies in his ability to extract the best from every player on his roster. In addition to surrounding himself with an excellent coaching staff that helps him achieve maximum performance.

Such is the case of Juanma Lillo, who has been instrumental in Manchester City’s success in the past, and after a brief stint at Al-Sadd, Lillo returns once again to the Etihad as Pep Guardiola’s assistant.

“He has helped us a lot. Without his influence it would be impossible to be where we are in the table,” the Manchester City coach openly acknowledged when referring to his ‘right hand’ in January 2021.

“He is a friend, a colleague and an inspiration. I am so, so happy that he is back here at Manchester City. He will raise the bar because he works very hard every day,” Guardiola acknowledged.

“He knows me perfectly, he knows what I need at the right time. In bad moments, he makes me feel calm. Juanma has a special sense for seeing things that I don’t see or reading game situations that are difficult for me to find.

“Juanma is a brilliant thinker and coach, who has a clear understanding of how to play. His vision is fully aligned with Pep’s. They both love to produce quality attacking football,” said Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City director of football, to welcome back Lilo to the team.