Enzo Maresca has shared his immense joy after officially being announced as the new manager of Manchester City, succeeding the legendary Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. The Italian tactician has signed a three-year contract, marking his third return to the club as he looks to continue the Citizens’ remarkable run of success.
A special homecoming for the former Chelsea manager
Manchester City have turned the page with the appointment of Maresca, concluding a prolonged and at times chaotic negotiation process that nearly fell apart due to compensation discussions with Chelsea. The 44-year-old now faces the immense challenge of stepping into Guardiola’s shoes, managing a side that has set the benchmark for excellence in English and European football.
In his first interview with Manchester City’s official media, Maresca expressed his deep emotional connection to the club and his hope that this stint would be his longest yet. “I’m very excited, very excited for many reasons. The first one is how big the club is, so this for sure has been one of the reasons why,” he said. “This is the third time I am working here at City – hopefully it’s the last time I come back and I don’t leave anymore!”
Carrying forward Guardiola’s philosophy
Instead of overhauling the system built under Guardiola, Maresca is determined to build upon it, focusing on evolution rather than revolution. Having previously led City’s elite development squad and served as part of Guardiola’s coaching staff during the historic 2022–23 treble-winning campaign, he possesses a deep understanding of the club’s footballing DNA.
Maresca emphasised that his familiarity with the City framework gives him a clear advantage. “Probably the reason why I’m here is also because the idea from the club is to maintain the same style of football and the same idea, and we’re going to try to do the most important thing in football, which is to try to win and to achieve important things. Then the day-by-day is also going to dictate the way I will work,” he explained.
The weight of a golden era
Maresca is fully aware of the magnitude of the task before him, inheriting a team shaped by Guardiola’s incredible success. Under the Spaniard’s leadership, Manchester City captured an astonishing 20 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and five Carabao Cups. Guardiola also delivered three FA Cups, three Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League trophy, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup, establishing an era of dominance rarely seen in modern football.
“It’s a huge challenge, for many reasons. All the success over the last 10 to 15 years, but at the same moment it’s a nice challenge,” Maresca said. “It’s exciting because the target is to continue or carry on the last decade or the last years that everything was very nice.”
Chelsea lash out at Maresca
Following Maresca’s unveiling at Manchester City, Chelsea issued a strongly worded statement criticising their former head coach. In their announcement, the west London club refrained from naming him directly, expressing frustration at his mid-season departure on January 1 and blaming him for what they called a “hugely disappointing” 2025–26 campaign.
The club accused Maresca of showing divided loyalty, alleging that he had expressed ambitions to replace Guardiola as early as autumn 2024 despite being under a long-term contract. Chelsea stated that they felt betrayed by his decision to resign abruptly in December 2025, claiming that his “head and heart were focused on another club.”
