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Hello! Today we’re discussing what a high-profile departure from Manchester City means for Pep Guardiola’s future. Oh, and we’ve discovered Jurgen Klopp’s next move.
Coming up:
- Upheaval at Manchester City
- Klopp joins Red Bull stable
- Chris Kirkland’s painkiller addiction
- The washing-up injury
All change at City? 👋
The plan today was to park Manchester City but their story keeps on giving.
On Monday, they were arm-wrestling the Premier League. Then, late yesterday, David Ornstein popped up with the news that Txiki Begiristain, their director of football, is stepping down at the end of the season.
This is big. Begiristain has occupied the corridors of power at the Etihad since 2012. He’s been fundamental in making City the Premier League’s dominant force (see graphic above).
Begiristain is one of Guardiola’s strongest allies — he helped Guardiola get his managerial break when they were at Barcelona in 2008 — and he will leave behind huge shoes to fill.
His impending departure poses obvious questions, which TAFC will deal with one by one.
Is Guardiola heading for the exit?
The manager’s future was a live discussion anyway because Guardiola’s contract ends next year. This summer, City’s decision-makers were under the impression that he and Begiristain would exit in 2025.
The club’s fans unfurled a banner at Saturday’s win against Fulham, urging Guardiola to stay). All he would say was: “What’s going to happen is going to happen.” Losing Begiristain and the world’s best coach in one summer would leave a gaping void.
Has Begiristain preempted the outcome of City’s 115 charges?
The 60-year-old’s time at City has overlapped with the period in which the club are accused of multiple breaches of Premier League rules (allegations they deny). A verdict on that case is due early next year and the potential sanctions are not pretty — but having delayed his plan to pull back from day-to-day operations when he turned 55, Begiristain was always set on bowing out at 60. City were not blindsided.
Who will replace him?
Choosing a suitable successor is vital in keeping City at the top of the tree. Ornstein reports that a deal with a replacement is already in place. The new man is scheduled to arrive in early 2025, before Begiristain officially departs. We don’t have a name yet but we’ll bring it to you as soon as we know. Priority No 1? Establishing Pep’s intentions.
Jurgen Klopp: Forever Red… Bull?
A surprising headline from Germany this morning: Jurgen Klopp has been named Red Bull’s new head of global soccer.
It’s Klopp’s first job since he ended his nine-year reign as Liverpool manager in May. His reputation precedes him — you might recall him resisting a bid from U.S. Soccer to speak to him about becoming the USMNT’s head coach — and from a PR standpoint, it’s a prize catch for Red Bull.
Red Bull controls a stable of football clubs across the world, the best of them Germany’s RB Leipzig. Klopp won’t be involved in the daily machinations of individual teams but he’s there to provide strategic guidance to prominent staff throughout the multi-club group: coaches, sporting directors, recruitment staff.
No doubt his knowledge will be invaluable. Red Bull bigwig Oliver Mintzlaff described Klopp as “one of the greatest and most influential figures in world soccer”, and he’s right. He also carries credibility and, as a result of aggressive rebranding and marketing of its teams, Red Bull is forever in the market for positive publicity.
Something tells me Klopp, who starts this role on January 1, 2025, is not done with management yet. But for long as Red Bull has its hands on him, its investment should be worth the money.
News round-up 🗞️
- Andres Iniesta announcing the date when he planned to announce his retirement was a little needy but hey, what a player. The Barcelona and Spain legend hung up his boots yesterday, aged 40. We’ll warm your soul with a flash of trademark brilliance (above).
- Any tale with the headline “very unfortunate washing-up injury” is going to get my attention. It’s legit, too. Ipswich Town’s Axel Tuanzebe is out for at least a month after doing the dishes. He needed surgery, too. Unreal.
- If Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson is in your Fantasy Premier League line-up, remove him pronto. That hamstring strain he suffered at the weekend? It will sideline him until the middle of November.
- Gregg Berhalter is back in the game after his sacking as the USMNT’s head coach. According to The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio, MLS franchise Chicago Fire are putting him front and centre — as head coach and director of football.
- Belgian club Anderlecht are in talks to appoint Spurs assistant Ryan Mason as their new manager. The former England midfielder is only 33 but has been coaching at Tottenham since 2018.
- Chelsea beat Real Madrid in the Women’s Champions League last night — but an attendance of 3,832 at Stamford Bridge was disappointing. Megan Feringa has given her take on it.
📺 Women’s Champions League (ET/BST): Bayern Munich vs Arsenal, 12:45pm/5:45pm – DAZN; Manchester City vs Barcelona, 8pm/3pm – DAZN/TNT Sports.
Kirkland’s recovery
Chris Kirkland was an accidental goalkeeper. At 14, he was shifted there in an emergency capacity — but he was so impressive that his father rushed straight out to place a bet on him becoming an England international, at odds of 100-1.
Kirkland delivered, winning his first and only cap aged 25. By then, he’d already become Britain’s most expensive ‘keeper after Liverpool signed him from Coventry City for £6million ($7.9m in today’s money). All in all, it reads like a success story.
But in this interview with Oli Kay, Kirkland opens up about a darker side of his experience: a fierce addiction to the painkiller Tramadol, which he used to control anxiety caused by football and injuries. It drove him close to suicide. At the peak of his addiction, he was taking more than six times the drug’s recommended daily limit.
Now 43 and retired, Kirkland seems to have found peace. And tomorrow, at England’s Nations League game against Greece, he’ll be awarded that solitary cap he won in 2006 — for some reason, it wasn’t given to him at the time. It’s a happy ending, and one he’s earned.
- Whatever you’re going through, you can call the Samaritans any time, from any phone, on 116 123 (UK) or 1-800-273-TALK (U.S.).
Show Viz 📈
As Gary O’Neil flounders at Wolverhampton Wanderers (more on that on The Athletic FC Podcast), Bournemouth’s decision to replace him with Andoni Iraola at the beginning of last season looks evermore astute.
OK, Bournemouth aren’t flying at present but Iraola has given them an uber-defined style. Respect for him is rising and today’s dip into Mark Carey’s analytics treasure trove has highlighted one of their core strengths.
When it comes to pressing high up the pitch, Bournemouth are elite. On average, they’re recovering possession in the final third eight times per game, the highest figure in the Premier League this season (above). Spurs are giving them a run for their money but those two clubs are out on their own. No side in the division is more likely to pick your pocket close to goal than Bournemouth.
At the opposite end of the scale, you’ve got sorry Southampton, who are averaging just 1.7 final-third regains. If you’ve witnessed Russell Martin’s patient, possession-based tactics, you’ll understand why. One point from seven matches suggests Martin might have to consider changing tack.
Around The Athletic FC 🌎
- I love how much Pablo Fornals loved West Ham United. This is a great line from him about West Ham winning the Europa Conference League: “I (only) played 10 minutes but I don’t f***ing care.
- The Athletic was invited to go inside the MLS’ Elite Formation Coaching License course. The last part of it takes place at France’s famous Clairefontaine training centre. Get ready for 2.30am finishes.
- Raul is a god of Real Madrid. He’s also been their ‘B’ team coach for five years. Guillermo Rai is wondering if the 47-year-old will ever step up to first-team management.
- Two Valencia fans have been detained in Singapore after protesting against club owner Peter Lim, the Singaporean businessman. The pair have not been charged but they’re set to appear in court today.
- Most clicked in yesterday’s TAFC: Why football pitches have centre circles. Three cheers for the nerds among you.
