Former Sevilla and Chile International coach, Juanma Lillo has joined the Manchester City coaching staff as Pep Guardiola's assistant.
Lillo joins the Premier League champions after guiding Chinese second-tier side, Qingdao Huanghai to the Chinese League One title, earning them promotion to the Super League.
The Spaniard replaces Mikel Arteta who left Manchester for the Arsenal managerial role last December, and his first appearance on the City sideline is expected to come against his predecessor as the Blues host the Gunners in their first outing after the three month break.
A Man With Experience
The 54-year-old joins the Blues with a wealth of coaching experience, with a career spanning 39 years. His appointment as Guardiola's assistant is just Lillo's third role as a deputy with his previous two coming at La Liga side, Sevilla and the Chile International team.
As a manager the Spaniard has took charge of 17 clubs across his 39-year coaching career including spells at Real Sociedad, Almeria, Tenerife and Real Zaragoza.
In his time as a number one, Guardiola's new assistant was once the youngest manager in La Liga history as he managed U.D. Salamanca at the age of 30.
No Stranger to Guardiola
This is not the first time Lillo and Guardiola have worked together after the latter played under his now assistant towards the end of his career for Mexican side, Dorados.
In a statement on the club website Lillo spoke about his past work with Guardiola: "I am delighted to have joined Manchester City’s coaching staff. My relationship with Pep goes back many years and I am thrilled to be joining him as part of this exciting team."
However, the 54-year-old's memories of his new boss are not all happy ones after he lost his job as Almeria boss in 2010 after being defeated by Guardiola's Barcelona 8-0.
Backing of the Board
In a club statement, it was clear City's Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain was happy with the appointment of his new man:
“We are delighted to welcome Juanma to Manchester City. His vast experience working across three continents and with some of the most famous names in world football will be an invaluable asset to Pep and his team. We look forward to him playing a vital role as we return to football.”