The bald head and stubble were familiar, and so was the casual dress sense. But the man who settled into the chair at Manchester City’s training headquarters on Friday was different to the one who has occupied it for the last decade.
In fact, drive past the terraced houses opposite the Etihad Stadium, and the face on a blue mural dedicated to Pep Guardiola could easily be mistaken for Enzo Maresca.
But Maresca is not Guardiola. As much as he admires the man who brought an unprecedented era of success to City, shares similar principles and spent time with him as recently as last week, the Italian made it clear at his official unveiling that he intends to do it his way.
‘First of all, for me, it’s important to make it clear that I’m here to do my job in the way I want,’ said Maresca, sitting at the City Football Academy beneath a large screen with a message welcoming him back to the club where he was previously one of Guardiola’s assistants and manager of the club’s Elite Development System.
‘I’m not here to try to copy someone. I’m just here to try to do my job; to install my idea, the way I see the football.
‘Every manager is different. There can be some similar concepts, but at the end, every manager is different. The way we approach day by day, and the way we approach the games. So we’ll see in which way we need to tweak.
Enzo Maresca was officially unveiled as Manchester City manager on Friday
This is Maresca’s third spell at City, having been one of Pep Guardiola’s assistants in the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, either side of a brief stint as Parma manager
| Aug 16, Comm Shield | Arsenal (n) |
| Aug 23, PL | Bournemouth (h) |
| Aug 28, PL | Crystal Palace (a) |
| Sep 5, PL | Coventry City (h) |
| Sep 13, PL | Man United (a) |
| Sep 19, PL | Sunderland (h) |
‘I don’t think there are managers that they just copy and paste from another manager (repeating a phrase that Guardiola used in his final press conference). I probably don’t see the football in the same way as the other manager, so that’s why I don’t believe in copy and paste.
‘I spoke with Pep a lot since he decided to leave the club. I was with him a week ago, and we spent some hours together. The relationship with Pep has always been very close since I was with the Under 23s.
‘He needs to enjoy his moment. After 10 years playing every three days, it’s quite demanding, and I think now he deserves to relax – and I also need to do my job and find the solutions for myself.’
Looking tanned and relaxed in a black T-shirt, the 46-year-old had to face some thorny issues on Friday after prefacing his opening press conference by offering condolences to the family of Kevin Keegan, who was manager of this club for four years.
There was the matter of his acrimonious departure from Chelsea, who put out a statement after he was confirmed as Guardiola’s successor last month claiming that his resignation after a year in charge was because his ‘head and heart were focused on another club and another opportunity’. City ended up paying their rivals £17million in compensation. Maresca chose his words carefully.
‘I have been quite lucky in terms of my former clubs, Leicester and Chelsea,’ said the Italian, who won the Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League at Stamford Bridge. I think we did a great job in both clubs. The identity of the team was clear. The success of the team was clear. But now I think we are here today. That is the most important thing. Just about City. Nothing to add.’
Then there are the 115 Premier League charges that still hang over City. Is it something that concerns him?
‘No, to be honest,’ he replied. ‘The only thing I can say is that three years ago, in the Treble season, I was here and there were the same words about this kind of problem. In three years, it is still the same. So nothing happened.’
‘I probably don’t see the football in the same way as the other manager, so that’s why I don’t believe in copy and paste’
Maresca was part of the Treble-winning coaching staff and has relationships still with the players from that team including Erling Haaland (right)
| Years | Club | Matches | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Parma | 14 | 28.6 |
| 2023-24 | Leicester | 53 | 67.9 |
| 2024-26 | Chelsea | 92 | 59.8 |
| 2026- | Man City | 0 | – |
After Elliot Anderson was unveiled as City’s new £116m signing this week, one of Maresca’s first tasks will be to resolve the future of Rodri, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid as he enters the final year of his contract at the Etihad.
First of all, the Spaniard will undergo back surgery on Monday after winning the World Cup last weekend. Maresca wasn’t giving much away other than to say that Rodri remains a key part of his captaincy committee following the departure of Bernardo Silva to Madrid on a free transfer this summer.
‘We have in this moment three players with Ruben (Dias), Rodri, and Erling (Haaland),’ added Maresca. ‘Probably we need some more because Bernardo left, but we will decide about that.
‘I think every manager wants to have Rodri because he’s a top player. But (he will have) surgery on Monday, and he needs a holiday. He needs to rest. He needs to recover, and then he will be back here with us. Around big players, there is always speculation. I’m not worried about that, I think it’s normal.’
There was a similar stance over goalkeeper James Trafford, who is being heavily linked with Leeds.
‘When the transfer window is open, now and in January, anything can happen. So we’ll see. But at the moment, he’s one of our keepers,’ said the new City boss.
Maresca was asked about two of the players – Phil Foden and Jack Grealish – who have struggled at times since winning the Treble in the 2022-23 season when he was by Guardiola’s side.
Foden signed a new four-year contract this week, but Maresca’s comment that Grealish is a ‘Man City player at the moment’ does not bode well for the man who spent last season on loan at Everton.
Maresca insisted he is ‘not worried’ about the future of Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri, despite the City midfielder being linked with a move to Real Madrid
Maresca with Jack Grealish after winning the Treble. The England winger’s future is in doubt after his loan to Everton last season
‘I just want Phil to be the Phil that we all know, but especially the Phil that we all want,’ said Maresca, who revealed that he spoke to Foden after he was left out of England’s World Cup squad. ‘First of all, for him because he needs to enjoy football and in general. Second, because I know how good Phil is. With Phil in a good shape, in a good mood, we can win games.’
So what would success look like next season to the man who has the unenviable task of filling Guardiola’s shoes?
‘I’m here knowing that this is a club that needs to win titles,’ Maresca replied. ‘But if you just focus on the final target, you miss all the previous part. I love the day by day. I love to do my job. I love to prepare sessions, to spend time with the players, and then at the end, for sure, the target is to win titles with this club.’
Either way, the new man is determined to be his own man.
