Enzo Maresca has officially taken the reins as Manchester City’s new manager, succeeding Pep Guardiola following the legendary Spaniard’s decade-long spell at the Etihad. As The Guardian reports, Maresca acknowledged the scale of replacing a manager who delivered 20 trophies while also paying tribute to former City boss Kevin Keegan, who recently passed away.
Maresca is no stranger to Manchester City, having previously managed the club’s elite development squad in the 2020-21 season before serving as Guardiola’s assistant during the historic 2022-23 treble-winning campaign. Since then, he has enjoyed success elsewhere, guiding Leicester City to the Championship title before leading Chelsea to a fourth-place Premier League finish, Conference League glory, and the FIFA Club World Cup title after a 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain. City reportedly paid Chelsea £17 million in compensation to secure his return.
Speaking at his first press conference, Maresca addressed the challenge of succeeding one of football’s greatest managers. “The history of the manager with many years in the same club always struggled a little bit. After Sir Alex, after Arsène,” he said, referring to Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger. However, he highlighted City’s stability as a reason for optimism.
“This club has had three managers in 17 years. This is not normal, so this is one of the things that I’m confident we can do a great job and continue to do the job that has been done in the last years. Roberto [Mancini] was here, then Manuel [Pellegrini] and then Pep – for 10 years.”
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Rodri’s injury and transfer market activity
One of Maresca’s first concerns is the fitness of Rodri. The Spain midfielder, who recently won the World Cup and claimed the tournament’s Golden Ball award, is set to undergo back surgery on Monday. The 30-year-old will miss City’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth, while speculation continues over his future with Real Madrid reportedly interested as he enters the final year of his contract.
City have already strengthened their midfield with the £116 million signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. According to The Guardian, the club also remains interested in Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto, while they could also pursue a pacy forward if Omar Marmoush leaves the club.
Pre-season tour and Community Shield
Maresca will fly to Asia on Tuesday for City’s pre-season tour, where they are scheduled to face Inter in Hong Kong before taking on the K-League All Stars and Atlético Madrid in Seoul. Several senior players, including Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic and Abdukodir Khusanov, are set to join the travelling squad.
The Italian’s first competitive match in charge will come against Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday, August 16, in Cardiff. With silverware firmly in his sights, Maresca now begins the daunting task of extending Manchester City’s era of success after Guardiola’s historic reign.
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