The Spaniard left the Etihad Stadium at the end of last season following the club’s historic treble win for a new role as sporting director at MLS team Austin FC.
Pep Guardiola’s former assistant has opened up on his decision to leave Manchester City for new opportunities in MLS.
Spaniard Rodolfo Borrell ended a glorious six years at the Etihad with a historic treble win which included clinching the club’s first Champions League trophy. The former academy technical director was promoted as Guardiola’s right-hand man after his compatriot arrived in England from Bayern Munich in 2016.
From there, he was a confidant and loyal support for the Catalan head coach and the pair helped usher in five Premier League titles before eventually bringing the European Cup to the blue half of Manchester. However, the crucial win over Italian giants Inter Milan in the exhibition final turned out to be the final dance in the union between the 52-year-old and the Cityzens.
Now, a new chapter awaits Borrell who has moved to the US to join Austin FC, this time as sporting director, a position he has never held before. The former Barcelona coach – where he helped raise Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas – will now take over operational leadership at the MLS franchise during an exciting time for the league.
The U.S. League is gearing up to welcome superstar Messi to Inter Miami later this month, with a number of blockbuster arrivals also set to accompany the World Cup winner in South Beach. His former Camp Nou teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are among the players set to join the 36-year-old this summer.
Borrell has now made clear his decision to leave Eastlands for Austin FC, especially following last season’s success alongside long-term ally Guardiola. He has opened up about his desire to exert influence over the entire club, with his new position allowing him to take on those responsibilities.
In a press conference, the former Liverpool employee confirmed: “[I] try to bring all the knowledge and experience that I have accumulated in my almost 30 years at a top level club. I am only thinking about this moment in my career. There are two ways: stick to the lead. head coaching, and taking on the position of sporting director. [The] sporting director [role], I think it allows me to influence the whole structure more than just being head coach.”
Borrell’s decision to move to the United States also meant he would be working alongside Josh Wolff, and he revealed he was attracted to the role after overseeing the former USMNT player’s development as a coach. He said: “I think we have the right people. We have the right things. I have followed a lot of teams and the way of playing, the way of trying to do things, is already aligned with what I want to help develop further.”
He added: “This is a great opportunity, I think this is the right person. This is the right place, the right city – the right everything to come into.”
