NewsIndia

By Ishaan Kapoor — 29 June 2026 — 3 min read

Enzo Maresca has returned to Manchester City, taking over as the club’s new head coach. The Italian, who previously served as an assistant to Pep Guardiola during City’s Treble-winning 2022-23 campaign, has signed a three-year deal. Maresca’s appointment follows Guardiola’s departure after a decade with the club.

Maresca’s journey in management has seen a rapid ascent since his first head coach role in 2021. He now faces the significant challenge of succeeding Guardiola, who secured 20 trophies during his 10 years at City. Maresca described the role as a “huge challenge,” noting that the club’s vision aligns with maintaining a similar style of football and striving for important achievements.

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak expressed confidence in Maresca, highlighting his previous stints with the club’s academy and as an assistant coach. Khaldoon noted that Maresca has drawn inspiration from Guardiola’s philosophy while also developing his own. The close contact between Maresca and Guardiola, along with a recommendation from outgoing sporting director Txiki Begiristain, reportedly played a role in the decision.

Maresca’s managerial journey and philosophy

Maresca’s coaching approach is influenced by both Italian and Spanish football. His exposure to Guardiola’s Barcelona during his playing career in Spain, particularly with Sevilla and Malaga, shaped his understanding of technical, possession-based football. His “football father,” former Manchester City and West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini, also recognised his coaching potential early on.

His managerial career began at Parma in 2021. Following this, he took charge of Leicester City at the start of the 2023-24 Championship season, guiding them to promotion back to the Premier League as champions. This success led to a move to Chelsea, where he led the team to a fourth-place finish, securing both the Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

However, Maresca’s time at Chelsea ended abruptly. According to Chelsea, he expressed a strong desire to leave midway through his second season to pursue the opportunity at Manchester City. Chelsea stated that his departure in December 2025 caused disruption, with the club eventually finishing ninth after further managerial changes. Maresca acknowledged the disruption his departure caused at Chelsea, stating it was neither his intention nor his wish.

Maresca is known for his tactical approach, often favouring a 4-2-3-1 formation. His teams aim to dominate possession, prevent counter-attacks, and maintain control. This style shares similarities with Guardiola’s methods, emphasising physicality in attack to press high up the pitch. He has also been noted for his use of fluid positional rotations to avoid stagnant attacks, as seen with Marc Cucurella drifting into an advanced midfield role and an asymmetric overlapping full-back tactic with Malo Gusto in the Club World Cup final.

His academic background includes a 7,000-word thesis on the similarities between football and chess, written at Italy’s Coverciano institute. He draws inspiration from outside football, consulting with volleyball coach Julio Velasco and basketball coach Ettore Messina. Maresca is also reportedly studying artificial intelligence.

Immediate priorities and squad considerations

As Maresca takes the helm, he faces several immediate tasks. City players are scheduled to report for pre-season on 20 July, with those involved in the World Cup receiving extended time off. One key priority will be to address the contract situation of midfielder Rodri, who is entering the final 12 months of his deal at Etihad Stadium.

The new head coach will also need to make a decision regarding his number one goalkeeper, given his preference for goalkeepers who are adept with their feet. This could see compatriot Gianluigi Donnarumma retain his position or provide an opportunity for James Trafford to establish himself as a first-team regular. Maresca’s assistants, Willy Caballero and Danny Walker, are expected to rejoin him at Manchester City.

Maresca’s appointment marks a new chapter for Manchester City as they look to continue their success under a coach familiar with the club’s philosophy and with a strong tactical background.

The club aims to maintain the winning culture established by Guardiola, with Maresca expressing his eagerness to start coaching the players and achieve important things.

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Source: bbc.com