Begiristain arrival adds to heat on Mancini

Manchester: Roberto Mancini’s future as Manchester City manager rests on his ability to forge a working relationship with Txiki Begiristain following the former Barcelona technical director’s appointment as director of football at the Etihad Stadium.

With Mancini’s dictatorial approach alienating several key players and a second successive failure to reach the Champions League knockout stages looming, any failure to embrace Begiristain’s methods would do little to diminish concerns within the club over the Italian’s suitability to the job.

Begiristain, who oversaw the appointment of Pep Guardiola as Barcelona manager in 2008 will be charged with overseeing City’s first-team transfer strategy after being lured to the club by Ferran Soriano, the recently appointed chief executive.

The Spaniard’s arrival, which was confirmed on Sunday, signals defeat for Mancini in his battle for greater control over transfer dealings. He had made a series of outbursts relating to Brian Marwood and the slow progress of moves for key targets during the past two summer transfer windows.

As part of the new management structure at the Etihad, Marwood is due to become managing director of the academy, with the Premier League champions determined to move towards a more economically sustainable approach to player recruitment and development, following mammoth spending in the early years of the ownership of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

With Mancini’s fractious relationship with his players in recent months reflecting his dealings with Marwood, the former Inter Milan coach will be expected to fall into line with the blueprint laid down by Soriano or risk his position being further undermined by conflict with those charged with running the club by City’s Abu Dhabi hierarchy. The appointment of the 48-year-old Begiristain, a winger for Barcelona and Spain during his playing career, is regarded as a statement of intent by Soriano following his arrival at the Etihad as Garry Cook’s successor in August.

Soriano’s five-year spell at Barcelona as vice-chairman and chief executive coincided with Begiristain’s seven-year stint as technical director at the Camp Nou, when the club began a rise that has delivered three Champions League titles.

The capture of Begiristain, who had previously been linked with similar roles at Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool, is a coup for City. At the Nou Camp, he oversaw transfer strategy and the production line of talent from the club’s La Masia youth academy. With Soriano and Begiristain charged with realising the vision of the club’s Abu Dhabi hierarchy, which demands top-quality home-grown players and the recruitment of the best global talent, Mancini must build new relationships with two men who have previously worked closely together and who share an ethos.

Mancini’s condemnation of Marwood was viewed within the club as pointed criticism of the move towards a more prudent approach in the transfer market. Despite the title success, which earned Mancini a new five-year contract in the summer, the criticism irritated senior figures in the club. They expect Soriano and Begiristain to adhere to the same financial strictures as Marwood.

Soriano and Begiristain’s connection with Guardiola, meanwhile, could provide an unwanted reminder to Mancini of his final days at Inter Milan, when Jose Mourinho had been designated as his successor while the Italian was still at the San Siro. With Guardiola expected to return to management next summer following a year-long sabbatical, the prospect of the Spaniard becoming a stalking horse for Mancini appears unavoidable, particularly if City fail to emerge from their Champions League group. In the immediate term, Mancini and Begiristain will be expected to prepare together for the January transfer window.

“Sustainability has always been central to Shaikh Mansour’s investment in Manchester City,” Soriano said. “The long-term future of the club is dependent upon our ability to recruit and develop young players through to the first-team squad.

“The focus must be on both academy and first team and the close co-ordination between them. Given the scale and importance of this challenge, we want to commit our very best people to it. I have no doubt that together, and in support of Roberto Mancini and the wider football club, they [Begiristain, Marwood and Mancini] will be a formidable team.”

Mancini’s thoughts on Begiristain’s arrival are unclear, but he is a pragmatist and is likely to view Marwood’s redeployment as a victory of sorts.

Marwood, who is understood to be keen to move to his new position following the friction of the past two years, pointedly referred to his admiration for Begiristain when discussing his role.

“Txiki and I have a shared philosophy when it comes to football operations and I very much look forward to the work that we will carry out.” he said. “The club’s new operations structure is a hallmark of our hard work and the two leadership roles are a necessity borne of success and ambition.”