Enzo Maresca has been confirmed as Manchester City's new manager, signing a three-year contract. The Italian returns to the club where he worked as an assistant to Pep Guardiola for 12 months, with City paying Chelsea £17 million in compensation. Maresca also agreed a personal settlement with Chelsea following his departure from the west London club at the start of the year.
Maresca's path to Manchester City
Maresca has been expected to take over from Guardiola ever since the Spaniard confirmed he would be leaving City, but lengthy negotiations were held over recompense Chelsea felt they were due. Chelsea say Maresca notified them of the potential opportunity to replace Guardiola at the end of last season, and it was clear he wanted to pursue this. The club claimed his resignation at the turn of the year 'was a major contributing factor' to their poor campaign.
'No club wants to change its head coach midway through a season. In the circumstances and given the mutual respect between clubs, a confidential settlement has been reached with Manchester City, which includes the payment of compensation,' read a Chelsea statement. 'A confidential settlement has also been reached with the former head coach under which he will pay compensation.'
Guardiola's legacy and Maresca's vision
Guardiola's 10-year spell saw City win 20 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League as part of the 2022-23 treble. Maresca was part of Guardiola's coaching staff when that triumph was secured. City tracked Maresca's progress in his future roles at Leicester and Chelsea, seeing that his style of play aligned with what the club wanted when Guardiola left, making him their number one target.
'Manchester City is a club I know very well and to have the chance to manage this team is a brilliant opportunity for me,' Maresca said. 'City is an incredibly well-run football Club. Everything they do is innovative, planned and purposeful. For a manager, that is a dream situation. It provides the consistency I need to do my job effectively.'
'This will be my third spell here. I know this club, I know the demands and I know the expectations. The quality of the people who work here is what makes it so special, and I want to thank them for showing faith in my ability. I cannot wait to start coaching the players. I want us to win, play good football and enjoy the pressure of representing Manchester City.'
Maresca's previous successes
The Italian took charge of Leicester in June 2023 and subsequently led them to promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking, which in turn landed him the head coach role at Chelsea. Maresca led the London club to the Conference League and the inaugural Club World Cup last year and appeared set for a prolonged period of success at Stamford Bridge before a falling out with the hierarchy led to his sudden departure on 1 January. It was reported at the time that a parting of the ways occurred after Maresca informed Chelsea that he had held talks with figures associated with City over replacing Guardiola.
Challenges ahead and squad outlook
Maresca takes charge of a City side that has gone two seasons without a Premier League title and has lost Bernardo Silva and John Stones following their departures from the club last season. Nonetheless, the squad is in healthy shape, and with Elliot Anderson's £116 million move from Nottingham Forest to be confirmed in the near future, City are bolstering their ranks.
'Enzo is someone who has always sought out opportunities to challenge himself and succeed in his managerial career. He brings a personality, passion and intelligence completely aligned to our needs,' City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak said. 'Enzo inherits a squad and football organisation perfectly suited to reflect and evolve his brand of football, and we are all very much looking forward to seeing the impact he can have in building further on the Club's success.'
Maresca's first fixtures
Maresca will first take charge of City on Saturday 1 August when they face Internazionale at the start of a pre-season tour in South Korea. His first competitive game in the City dugout will be the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday 16 August against Arsenal, before starting the league season at home to Bournemouth the following weekend.
