Manchester City appoints Enzo Maresca as Pep Guardiola's successor
Manchester City has appointed Enzo Maresca as their new head coach. The 46-year-old Italian has signed a three-year contract with the English top club and must usher in a new era following Pep Guardiola's departure after ten years at the Etihad Stadium.
Three-year deal after weeks of waiting
Manchester City presented Enzo Maresca as the club's new manager on Monday. The Italian, who previously managed Chelsea and Leicester City, agreed to a three-year deal, though official confirmation took weeks to materialise. Chelsea demanded a reported £17 million (around $22 million) in compensation for Maresca, who still had a contract with the Blues until 2029 when he departed in January. The London club took the unusual step of issuing a public statement revealing that Maresca had informed them of a potential move earlier this season. "In December 2025, our manager unexpectedly and abruptly left his position," the club said. "That felt like a disappointment."
Familiar surroundings for Maresca
Maresca's appointment at City is no step into the unknown. He spent the 2022-23 season as Guardiola's assistant, a period when the club achieved the historic treble: the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. Before that, as coach of City's youth team, he guided them to the Premier League 2 title in the 2020-21 season. The former midfielder, who played for the likes of Juventus and West Bromwich Albion, is now in his third stint at the club. "I know this club, I know the demands and I know the expectations," Maresca said upon his appointment. "The quality of the people here is what makes it so special."
Mission: return to English summit
Maresca's primary task is clear: bring Manchester City back to the very top of English football. The club has missed out on the Premier League title for the past two seasons. Guardiola, who won seventeen major trophies during his ten years in Manchester, ended his tenure in May. In his final season, he still won the FA Cup and League Cup, but City finished second in the league, seven points behind champions Arsenal. Guardiola indicated he no longer had the energy to continue. City now hopes Maresca will follow a similar trajectory to Mikel Arteta, also a former Guardiola assistant, who led Arsenal to the championship.
Maresca left Chelsea after promising start
Maresca returns to the dugout after stepping down from his Chelsea position on New Year's Day. His spell at the Blues began promisingly: the club finished fourth in the Premier League and won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup in his first season. The meticulous and driven coach had a good rapport with his players; both Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella—who subsequently moved to Real Madrid—publicly expressed their disappointment at his departure. Maresca had joined Chelsea in 2024 after leading Leicester City to promotion from the Championship.
Guardiola philosophy as guide, reinforcements incoming
Maresca is regarded as a faithful follower of Guardiola's footballing philosophy and employs his possession-based style as the foundation for his own approach. He takes charge of a squad that has been significantly overhauled over the past eighteen months, with several key figures from the title-winning era having departed. The Italian wants to stamp his mark on the transfer market immediately: City reportedly reached an agreement with Nottingham Forest over a club-record transfer for English midfielder Elliot Anderson. Furthermore, the club is also said to be in the market for Bournemouth attacker Eli Junior Kroupi.
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Source: Via The New Indian Express (GNews)
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