Lillo reunites with Guardiola as City's new assistant coach

Updated Jun. 9, 2020 12:24 p.m. ET

Associated Press

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City hired Juan Manuel Lillo as the club's assistant coach on Tuesday, reuniting the Spaniard with Pep Guardiola after the pair's time together in Mexico.

Lillo was most recently at Chinese club Qingdao Huanghai, which he helped secure promotion to the Super League. He has managed a slew of teams in Spain's La Liga and was also coach at Dorados in 2005-06 when Guardiola spent a year at the Mexican team.

“My relationship with Pep goes back many years," Lillo said, "and I am thrilled to be joining him as part of this exciting team.

Lillo will be the replacement for Mikel Arteta, who left his role as Guardiola's No. 2 to take over at Arsenal in December.

City's director of football, Txiki Begiristain, said the 54-year-old Lillo would be an “invaluable asset” to Guardiola because of his “vast experience working across three continents.”

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