Former Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain said the club is in "top hands" as reflected on his 13 years at the club.
Begiristain left City this summer after helping transform the club into the dominant force in English football for much of the past decade.
The Spaniard joined City during the 2011/12 season, one that is forever etched in club folklore after Sergio Aguero's goal against QPR with virtually the last kick of the season secured the club's first Premier League title under Abu Dhabi United Group's ownership.
A second Premier League crown came in 2013/14 with Manuel Pellegrini at the helm after the Chilean had succeeded Roberto Mancini. It was that title success Begiristain remembers most fondly.
"I would say the first Premier League that we won when I was here with Manuel [was the most satisfying] because I came for that," Begiristain said in an interview published on the club's website.
"It was a difficult one and I was very happy to win it. We had to win a lot of games at the end to win the league."
During his time at City, the club won eight league titles, two FA Cups, six League Cups, the Uefa Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup to cement their place as a dominant force in England, Europe and the world.
In 2023, City won five trophies, including a domestic treble. However, winning the Champions League, the first in the club's history, thanks to a 1-0 win over Inter Milan, was the crowning achievement, he said.
"The top one during my time here was Istanbul - to win the Champions League is something we were all dreaming about, the fans and all the staff working here."
The Spaniard was well-versed in building a squad capable of challenging on all fronts; he had held the same role at Barcelona when the likes of Yaya Toure and Thierry Henry were recruited to supplement the home-grown talent of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.
It was those expertise that made City so keen to recruit him. Able to tap into a vast scouting network, under Begiristain the club signed world-class players including Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva, Rodri and Erling Haaland to name a few.
"You have to identify the weaknesses of the team," Begiristain said when asked about the role at the club. "You have to be in contact with your scouting department and those are the top ones who are in the market and watching the games.
"They find the players that can replace the ones making us weaker and that is the process - identifying the problem, how we can solve it and share with everyone here with the manager and staff, then take the decisions."
Begiristain said the faith placed in him by City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was crucial. "I got the trust [from him]. He relied on my expertise and I felt it from the beginning."
Pep Guardiola's arrival at City was a seminal moment in the club's history. Though they had won trophies under the Spaniard's predecessors, under Guardiola's guidance, backed by the club's financial might, City were transformed into arguably the finest English team of the 21st century.
Records were shattered, including winning four Premier League crowns in a row - the first English team to do so - and the style of football made City the envy of rivals.
Begiristain had been both a teammate and close colleague at Barcelona, and the former said City's decision to hire his friend was one of the main reasons he remained at the Etihad so long.
"Firstly, we played together, and we have shared a lot. We then started working together. That helped when I was here and he was available and came here.
On why their partnership was so fruitful Begiristain added: "You have to understand your role and then also you have to understand that he is the guy. He is the leader in the building, and he has to be seen like this.
"You have to help him to stay calm and show him that you are capable with the structures of the club to help him build the best team in the world."
Begiristain handed over the reins in the summer to Hugo Viana, the former Newcastle United and Portugal winger who had overseen a fine recruitment strategy at Sporting in Lisbon.
City spent over €200 million this summer on the likes of Tijjani Reinders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki and also added Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to their ranks on transfer deadline day.
"He [Viana] has been a top selection," Begiristain said of his successor. "I would say that he is quite close to what I feel I am. He is so calm but he is also very decisive.
"The decisions on players - I think we are in top hands."