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Pep Guardiola has overhauled his coaching staff at Manchester City this summer and the new look group could have an impact on the season ahead.
There has been plenty of change on the pitch at Manchester City so far in 2025, but the voices around the first-team squad have also altered. Pep Guardiola might remain in charge, but his backroom staff has been refreshed this summer.
The departures of Juanma Lillo and Inigo Domiguez, as well as Carlos Vicens' decision to accept the head coach position at Braga, meant Guardiola had to make changes to the staff around him.
The City boss always intended to freshen things up this summer after a difficult 2024/25 campaign, and this has now been achieved. The new-look staffing set-up was in place for the Club World Cup and will now remain so for the season, with the club confirming Kolo Toure's promotion from the Under-18s has been made permanent.
So, with the coaching set-up now finalised ahead of a return to pre-season training on July 28, this is how Guardiola's staff will look this season and the impact they can make.
Pep Lijnders
The most high-profile addition of the summer is undoubtedly the 42-year-old Dutchman, who was Jurgen Klopp's right-hand man at Liverpool for most of their rivalry with Guardiola's City.
Lijnders stepped out on his own last summer, but his stint at RB Salzburg was ended prematurely. He accepted an offer to return to an assistant role when Guardiola called, after the Catalan had initially received a reference from Klopp.
Lijnders made a good impression in his first spell working with the squad. He was a vocal and hands-on presence during sessions at City's Lynn University base in Boca Raton during the Club World Cup and was regularly seen in discussion with Guardiola.
"He's opened my eyes in many and a few things in a short time," said the City boss. "It's happened for many years from all the assistant managers I've had; I always try to drink from their knowledge.
"I need the people like last season with Juanma, in the past with Mikel [Arteta], with Enzo [Maresca], with Dome [Torrent], with Rodo [Borrell] - all the assistants help me. Always it's, 'What is your opinion? What would you do? How would you do it? What drill will you make?'
"That is what it's all about, it's nice, and now we have experience with Kolo [Toure], with James [French], with Pep [Lijnders], and every time he adds something, I say, 'Wow! This could be good! We could make this step, we can be better', and that is how the world works! Not just all the time the same, you have to open your mind, and be open to other minds, other people."
Lijnders' work as a coach was highly praised during his time at Anfield and he is considered a devotee of pressing. It was no coincidence that City's pressing looked to have improved during their four Club World Cup games.
He will design the majority of the training programme and work closely with Guardiola on game plans. It is Lijnders' influence that will be most keenly felt by the players.
James French
French joined directly from Liverpool this summer. After 13 years as an analyst at Anfield, the 37-year-old opted for change and took over set-piece duties with the Blues.
He will replace Vicens as City's man on the sidelines during set-pieces and will be responsible for organisational aspects of their defensive play, and for designing routines to cause a threat in the opposition penalty area.
French earned plenty of private praise from players during the Club World Cup, and Ilkay Gundogan did discuss him publicly, highlighting the simplicity of his instructions as a major strength.
“The new people that have come in, especially our new set-piece coach, explain things in a very simple way that I quite like and I know other players also like very much,” said Gundogan.
City looked dangerous from set-pieces during the Club World Cup, particularly from corners, with Bernardo Silva's delivery often on the money.
Kolo Toure
Toure completes the cast of new faces within the first-team set-up, although he isn't a new arrival. The 44-year-old had been assisting Oliver Reiss with the Under-18s until he was called on to help at the Club World Cup.
The former City defender will form a vital link between the first team and the academy, helping smooth the transition process for young players being promoted to the senior set-up, even if it is for only the occasional training session.
He is also an ideal conduit between the players and Guardiola or Lijnders. His playing career is recent enough to be remembered, and his bubbly personality has worked well within the squad.
It felt telling that Hugo Viana talked of Toure's "massive personality of optimism and positivity" being infectious, and this is something Guardiola was keen to achieve this summer.
He knew the squad needed new energy and that isn't just coming from the new players, but also new voices within the coaching ranks.
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