Pep Guardiola's assistant discusses why he left Manchester City to join MLS.
Following the team's historic treble triumph, the Spaniard left the Etihad Stadium at the end of last season to take on a new role as sports director at MLS club Austin FC.
Pep Guardiola's former assistant has spoken out about his choice to leave Manchester City for a fresh opportunity in Major League Soccer.
Rodolfo Borrell, a Spaniard, ended off six brilliant years at the Etihad with a historic treble success that featured the club's first-ever Champions League championship. When Guardiola arrived in England from Bayern Munich in 2016, the former academy technical director was promoted to the position of Guardiola's right-hand man.
From there, he was a devoted confidant and supporter of the Catalan manager, and the two worked together to produce five Premier League trophies before ultimately bringing the European Cup to the blue half of Manchester. However, the monumental victory over Italian giants Inter Milan in the showpiece final proved to be the last dance in the 52-year-old's partnership with the Cityzens.
Now, a new chapter awaits Borrell, who has relocated to the United States to join Austin FC as sporting director, a role he has never held before. The former Barcelona coach, who helped develop Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, and Cesc Fabregas, will now take over as the MLS franchise's operations manager.
The US league is preparing to welcome upcoming superstar Messi to Inter Miami later this month, with a slew of blockbuster signings also poised to join the World Cup winner in South Beach. Former Camp Nou colleagues Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are among the players who will join the 36-year-old in the United States this summer.
Borrell has now revealed his choice to leave Eastlands for Austin FC, especially after last season's success with long-term ally Guardiola. He spoke openly about his ambition to exercise influence over the entire club, and how his new position allows him to do so.
In a press conference, the former Liverpool staffer stated, "[I'm] attempting to bring all of the knowledge and experience that I have accumulated in my nearly 30 years of working for top level clubs." At this point in my career, I'm just thinking. There were two options: continue as head coach or take on the post of sporting director. The [position of] sporting director, I believe, allows me to affect the entire organization far more than being a head coach."
Borrell's decision to relocate to the United States also means he will be working alongside Josh Wolff, and he claimed he was drawn to the post after watching the former USMNT player's development as a coach. "I think we've found the right guy," he remarked. We have the necessary equipment. I've been watching a lot of the team, and their style of play, their approach to things, is already in line with what I'd like to help grow further."
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