The real power around the club resides in Abu Dhabi, through owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, and they have put the structures in place that can allow safe passage through the loss of any executive, no matter how important.
Also, they have been preparing for director of football Txiki Begiristain’s departure for five years, given his original intention had been to stand down aged 55.
The initial speculation about a replacement revolved around Quique Carcel, currently sporting director at fellow City Football Group club Girona. Whether it becomes reality or not, that does not suggest an entire template being ripped up.
The news of Begiristain’s departure at the end of the season also comes in a week where there has been a verdict in City’s legal case against the Premier League over the league’s rules on commercial deals involving clubs’ owners, with both sides claiming victory.
That case is not directly related to the Premier League disciplinary commission which is under way into 115 charges against City for allegedly breaching its financial regulations, some of which date back to 2009.
Read the full piece on what Begiristain’s departure could mean for Pep Guardiola’s future