Sporting’s Hugo Viana set to take the helm as Manchester City’s new sporting director

Manchester City has finalized a deal with Sporting to bring in Hugo Viana as their new sporting director, replacing the departing Txiki Begiristain. Viana, a former Portugal and Newcastle midfielder, is expected to join the Premier League champions early next year, with a transition period planned to work alongside Begiristain before taking over the role at the end of the season.

With Begiristain leaving after 12 years at City, the club conducted an extensive search for his successor, ultimately landing on Viana due to his successful tenure at Sporting in Lisbon. Viana’s work at Sporting has garnered praise, as he played a key role in securing two Primeira Liga titles for the club during his six-year stint. Known for his ability to identify and recruit young talent from across the globe, Viana has also overseen lucrative transfers of players like Manuel Ugarte, Matheus Nunes, and Nuno Mendes.

One of Viana’s notable achievements at Sporting was bringing in Rúben Amorim as head coach from Braga. Despite a brief stint at Braga, Viana saw potential in Amorim to usher in a new era at Sporting, a vision that has come to fruition with multiple domestic cup victories, two league titles, and an impressive brand of football both domestically and in European competition under Amorim’s leadership.

Having enjoyed success as a player with Sporting and Valencia, Viana’s time at Newcastle was less memorable. Following his retirement as a player, Viana transitioned into a role as sporting director at Belenenses before returning to Sporting in a similar capacity.

As City look to resolve the future of manager Pep Guardiola before his contract expires, they are gearing up to face Sporting in a Champions League group stage match in November, setting up an interesting reunion where Viana will face his future employers on the touchline.

Tags :
Soccer News,Tips,Tricks,Updates
Share :