Juanma Lillo is able to see things that Pep Guardiola cannot during matches and give the Manchester City manager the perspective he needs after performances.
City lost a crucial member of their backroom staff in 2018 when Domenec Torrent moved to take charge of sister club New York City, then were further depleted in December 2019 as Arsenal appointed Mikel Arteta. Having battled on for a few months, Guardiola used the time while football was suspended during the pandemic to convince his old mentor and former boss Lillo to take up a position at the Etihad.
While the form the team have produced this season and especially the last few months cannot be solely attributed to the new member of the backroom staff, neither would it have been possible without him according to the manager.
"I have Rodo [lfo Borrell], who has had a long time with us. He helped me a lot, this season especially. Juanma still doesn’t speak good English, but it would not have been possible to do what we have done so far, being there in the table, without his influence on me," said Guardiola.
"He knows me well, he knows what I need to hear, when he needs to listen. He sees things that I am not able to watch, he has a special sense of reading the game that is difficult to find. Then especially in the bad moments, he is a guy that makes me feel calm and see. what the real situation of the team is whether we win or lose.
"He always has a vision that I am not able to see and his influence in this period has been so important. He helped us with some defensive issues in the beginning, he speaks especially with the Latin players but he is important to me and that is what I need."
