Enzo Maresca Returns to Manchester City as Head Coach

By Sanjay Menon — 29 June 2026 — 4 min read

Enzo Maresca has returned to Manchester City as the club’s new head coach, succeeding Pep Guardiola. The Italian has signed a three-year deal, marking his return after previously serving as Guardiola’s assistant during the 2022-23 Treble-winning campaign.

Maresca’s appointment follows a period where he managed Chelsea, departing mid-season. Reports indicate that City reached an agreement with Chelsea for a compensation package, with British media suggesting a fee around £17 million. Chelsea stated that Maresca expressed a strong desire to pursue the opportunity to succeed Guardiola, despite being under a long-term contract.

The 46-year-old’s managerial journey began in 2021 at Parma. He later guided Leicester City back to the Premier League as champions during the 2023-24 Championship season. His success at Leicester led to his move to Chelsea. However, his relationship with Chelsea’s owners reportedly deteriorated, leading to his mid-season departure.

Maresca acknowledged that his departure from Chelsea caused disruption for the club, which eventually finished ninth after further managerial changes. He stated that he was treated well at Chelsea and treasured the memories and successes achieved there.

Maresca’s Coaching Philosophy and Influences

Maresca’s coaching approach is influenced by both Italian and Spanish football. His exposure to Guardiola’s Barcelona during his playing career at Sevilla and Malaga opened his eyes to a technical, possession-based style of play. This experience, combined with his family’s Spanish background, has made Spanish the primary language spoken in his home.

His former manager, Manuel Pellegrini, is credited with identifying Maresca’s coaching potential during his playing days. This grounding helps explain the similarities between Maresca’s and Guardiola’s football philosophies. Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak noted that Maresca has drawn inspiration from Guardiola’s philosophy while also evolving his own.

Maresca was an influential figure during his single season as Guardiola’s assistant, with Guardiola often relying on him for tactical innovations. During that period, John Stones was rebranded as a central midfielder, playing a key role in the Champions League final victory against Inter Milan. Maresca also left a lasting impression during his time as head coach of City’s Elite Development Squad in the 2020-21 season.

Gareth Taylor, who worked with Maresca at City, highlighted Maresca’s freedom in setting up teams and his willingness to evolve tactically. Maresca’s Italian influences include playing under coaches Carlo Ancelotti and Marcelo Lippi.

Maresca views himself as a master tactician who desires control. His teams typically line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, aiming to maintain possession, prevent counter-attacks, and dominate matches. This style is similar to Guardiola’s approach, emphasizing physicality in attack to press and win the ball high up the pitch.

Despite overall success at Chelsea and Leicester, Maresca faced criticism for slow build-up play during certain periods. However, he often counters this with fluid positional rotations to avoid stagnated attacks. An example of his tactical acumen was seen in the Club World Cup final, where an asymmetric overlapping full-back strategy involving Malo Gusto created space for Cole Palmer in a 3-0 win in New Jersey.

Maresca’s dedication to tactics is further evidenced by his 7,000-word thesis on the similarities between football and chess, written at Italy’s Coverciano institute. He compared football strategy to grandmaster chess, referencing a 1991 World Championship match between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi. He also seeks ideas outside of football, consulting volleyball coach Julio Velasco and basketball coach Ettore Messina.

Maresca is known to be studying artificial intelligence and has been observed attending live matches, such as Leicester City‘s home game against Norwich.

Immediate Priorities and Future Outlook

Maresca faces the significant challenge of following Guardiola, who won 20 trophies during his decade-long tenure at City. City insiders have spoken positively about Maresca, and he is expected to continue Guardiola’s philosophy and the winning culture ingrained in the club.

City players are scheduled to report for pre-season on July 20, with those who participated in the World Cup receiving additional time off.

The club is also expected to confirm the arrival of midfielder Elliot Anderson, and attention will then turn to signing a new right-back. Chelsea‘s Malo Gusto has been mentioned as a potential reunion with Maresca, while Lille‘s Ayyoub Bouaddi has also been linked to City.

Maresca also has a decision to make regarding his number one goalkeeper, as he prefers a goalkeeper who is proficient with their feet. The choice will be between Gianluigi Donnarumma and potentially giving James Trafford an opportunity to establish himself as a first-team regular.

Maresca views Manchester City as a well-run club with an innovative, planned, and purposeful approach, which he considers a dream situation for a manager, providing the consistency needed for effective work.

Guardiola, who announced his departure in May, led City to numerous accolades, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown. He concluded his tenure by winning the League Cup and FA Cup in his final season.

Source: bbc.com