Two Manchester City academy coaches have left the club this week as Mustafa Alper Avci and Kieron Lovelady have joined Adana Demirspor as head coach and first-team coach respectively.
Avci becomes the fourth manager at the Turkish Super Lig strugglers, of the campaign following the departure of Michael Valkanis, Serkan Damla and Mustafa Dalcı. Dean Holden, most recently Steven Gerrard's assistant manager at Al Ettifaq, has also been confirmed as his assistant.
Both the 43-year-old and Lovelady, who is from Southport on Merseyside, had worked together within City's academy for three years while the 27-year-old has also been at the Etihad Campus since 2022. The move for Lovelady, who was a foundation phase coach within the academy, will see him become one of the youngest English coaches working at first-team level in the top 10 leagues in Europe.
The new head coach at the New Adana Stadium, the former home of ex-blues striker Mario Balotelli, returns to senior management after several spells in the dugout in his native country. In a post on social media, Avci announced his City departure, he said: "After three wonderful years at this incredible club, it's time to move on.
"I'm grateful for the amazing memories and experiences I've had here.
"A heartfelt thank you to the Manchester City Football Club family. This club, the friendships I've made here, will always be special to me."
They took training in Turkey for the first time on Thursday night, ahead of Sunday's encounter with Kasimpasa. Upon joining Mavi Şimşekler, Lovelady said: "It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of Adana Demirspor’s first-team setup.
"I’m excited to contribute to the club’s ambitions and continue my development as a coach at the highest
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