Manchester City Appoint Enzo Maresca to Replace Pep Guardiola

Enzo Maresca has returned to Manchester City, three years after leaving the club, but this time he arrives at the Etihad with the responsibility of following one of the most successful managers in football history.

City have appointed Maresca as their new manager on a three-year contract, with the Italian replacing Pep Guardiola after his remarkable decade-long spell in charge.

The club will pay Chelsea more than £17m in compensation to secure Maresca’s services after he left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent on New Year’s Day.

Maresca’s appointment marks a return to familiar surroundings. The 46-year-old previously worked as Guardiola’s assistant during City’s historic Treble-winning season in 2022-23, while he also led the club’s Elite Development Squad to the Premier League 2 title during his time in charge of the academy side in 2020-21.

Maresca has admitted taking over from Guardiola represents a huge challenge, but believes City’s decision to appoint him is based on a shared footballing philosophy.

“Probably the reason why I am here is also because the idea from the club is to maintain the same style of football, the same idea,” Maresca said.

“And we are going to try to do the most important thing in football which is try to win, to achieve important things. Then the day-by-day is also going to dictate the way I will work.”

The Italian’s return comes after a successful but complicated spell at Chelsea. During his one full season at Stamford Bridge, Maresca guided the club to UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup success, while leaving them fifth in the Premier League table, five places higher than their eventual final position of 10th.

However, his mid-season departure created controversy, and Maresca has addressed his decision to leave the club.

“At the end of December 2025, I made the difficult decision to leave Chelsea,” Maresca said.

“The decision was only mine. My resignation from Chelsea opened a path for me to join Manchester City, which is a club I knew very well. I am ecstatic that I have now joined Manchester City.”

Maresca also apologised for the timing of his departure and thanked Chelsea for his time at the club.

“I recognise that my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise for that. It was neither my intention nor my wish.

“I was treated well by everyone at Chelsea and together we achieved great success and memories that I will always treasure.

“I am grateful to the club, the owners and the fans for giving me the opportunity.”

Despite the pressure of replacing Guardiola, Maresca arrives with strong backing from within City.

Guardiola previously described his former assistant as “one of the best managers in the world”, while City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has highlighted how Maresca has developed his own ideas despite being influenced by Guardiola’s methods.

“He is one of Pep’s assistants at one point in his career so definitely – he will tell you – he is going to have taken a lot of inspiration in the philosophy of Pep, and you see that in his football,” Khaldoon said.

“But he has also evolved his own philosophy. I think Enzo brings a lot to this club.”

Maresca’s football has been shaped by a mixture of influences. His Italian coaching education was developed through experiences with managers such as Carlo Ancelotti and Marcelo Lippi, while his playing career in Spain exposed him to the possession-based style that would later become central to Guardiola’s approach.

During his time with Sevilla and Malaga, Maresca witnessed Barcelona’s dominance under Guardiola, a team widely considered one of the greatest club sides ever assembled. That experience helped shape his belief in technical football built around control and possession.

His relationship with Guardiola has remained strong, with the pair understood to still be in contact, and City saw Maresca as the ideal candidate to continue the club’s footballing identity.

His previous spell at the Etihad also saw him play a role in Guardiola’s coaching staff during one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history, including the tactical evolution of John Stones into a midfield role that became a key part of their Champions League-winning campaign.

Maresca now returns to Manchester with a new challenge ahead. After success at Chelsea and previous experience inside City’s structure, he will attempt to prove he can lead the club into a new era following Guardiola’s historic reign.