London, Nov  3 : Roberto Mancini has claimed that he is prepared for the shadow of Pep Guardiola to loom over him at Manchester City, following the appointment of Txiki Begiristain, the former Barcelona technical director, as director of football at the Etihad.

Guardiola, currently spending a year-long sabbatical in New York after ending his star-studded four-year spell as Barcelona coach, worked closely with Begiristain, and City’s new chief executive, Ferran Soriano, during his reign at the Nou Camp.

While the Catalan connection between Guardiola and City’s newly arrived executive team has placed the spotlight on Mancini, the Italian insists that he still has a long and successful future at City, regardless of Guardiola’s status as football’s most-wanted out-of-work manager.

“I’m very happy because we have a new sporting director (Begiristain), he worked for Barca and has big experience with a top team. I have my job, Txiki will have his job, Ferran has his job but together I think we can work,” The Telegraph quoted Mancini, as saying.

“If you write that maybe next year we (City) arrive with Guardiola or another manager, I don’t know, this is not my problem. Pep is in New York and his problem is the typhoon,” he said.

Mancini said that as the boss now, his job was just to work well with everyone at City and build up a strong team.

“I am here, I want to work well and I want everyone to work well because, in this moment, we are ready to improve and build a stronger team,” he said. (ANI)