Enzo Maresca has finally been appointed manager of Manchester City as the successor to Pep Guardiola.
The former Leicester and Chelsea boss returns to the club having spent a season as an assistant to Guardiola during the 2022/23 campaign, and having previously overseen Manchester City’s elite development squad.
Maresca, who has signed a three-year contract after City finally agreed compensation terms with Chelsea, now faces the tall task of taking over from a manager who won six Premier League titles across a trophy-laden decade in Manchester.
The Italian, 46, has been out of work since parting company with Chelsea on 1 January just months after leading the London club to twin successes in the Conference League and Club World Cup and after his appointment at the Etihad was confirmed, the Blues subsequently released an explosive statement essentially blaming him for their poor season.
Maresca had always been City’s first choice for the role, with ex-boss Guardiola giving his blessing to the decision to make him his successor, and the man himself was pleased to finally get the appointment over the line.
“Manchester City is a club I know very well and to have the chance to manage this team is a brilliant opportunity for me,” said Maresca in a statement.
“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.”
According to the Press Association, City are understood to have agreed a compensation package with Chelsea to secure Maresca’s services amounting to £17m. He had more than three years remaining on his contract when he left Stamford Bridge in January after a poor run of form and a breakdown in his relationship with the club’s ownership.
His appointment at the Etihad had long been seen as a fait accompli, given his links to the club. Maresca served as Guardiola’s No 2 during City’s treble-winning 2022-23 season before leading Leicester to Premier League promotion in 2024 and then claiming those two trophies at Chelsea.
Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak extolled the virtues of his new hire, saying: “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.
“He is rejoining an organisation that is entirely in lock-step with his ambition and hunger for achievement and his return to Manchester City is therefore a welcome natural next step for both him and the club.
“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.”
