Kolo Touré has joined Manchester City’s coaching staff in a permanent role, with Pep Lijnders and James French also taking key positions. This forms part of City’s refreshed backroom team announced in mid-2025, following Guardiola’s continued restructuring of the staff.

If you’re looking for a concise summary of the changes and who many of the new names are, here it is:

• Primary changes
  • Kolo Touré promoted from the academy to the first-team coaching staff as an assistant coach, reinforcing the link between youth development and the first team.

* Pep Lijnders appointed as assistant coach, bringing his experience from elsewhere and aligning with Guardiola’s system.

* James French added as set-piece specialist to bolster attacking and defensive transitions from dead-ball situations.

• Supporting staff context
  • The club’s broader backroom team includes familiar roles such as head of performance, goalkeeping coaches, and medical staff, all integral to sustaining high-intensity campaigns.

• Background
  • Touré is a former City captain who previously coached the Under-18s, and his promotion signals a smoother pathway for academy graduates to reach the first team.

* The announced changes align with City’s ongoing strategy to blend experienced coaches with home-grown talent to maintain competitive consistency.

If you want, I can pull more details about each person’s background and previous roles, or compare City’s 2024–25 coaching lineup to the prior season.