Maresca named Manchester City manager after Guardiola exit

Manchester City have appointed Enzo Maresca as manager to succeed Pep Guardiola, the Premier League club said Monday. The move hands the former Chelsea boss one of football’s most demanding jobs after Guardiola’s 10-year spell at City.

City said Maresca has agreed a three-year contract. Chelsea said they had reached a compensation agreement with Manchester City after Maresca left Stamford Bridge during the season; British media put the figure at about £17 million, or $22.5 million.

Maresca knows City from earlier roles at the club. He previously coached the youth team and worked as an assistant to Guardiola with the senior side during City’s 2018-19 treble-winning campaign.

In a statement released by Manchester City, Maresca said the club was familiar to him and called the chance to manage the team “a brilliant opportunity.” He said he wanted City to win, play attractive football and embrace the demands that come with representing the club.

Return after a rapid rise

Maresca’s managerial career began at Parma in 2021, where he lasted 14 matches and won four, according to Reuters. He later took charge of Leicester City at the start of the 2023-24 Championship season and led the club back to the Premier League as champions.

That promotion earned him the Chelsea job. At Stamford Bridge, he was asked to guide a young and costly squad back into the Champions League places.

Maresca led Chelsea to a fourth-place league finish and won the Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup, according to Reuters. His time in London ended midway through his second season after his relationship with the club’s owners worsened.

Chelsea say exit came mid-contract

Chelsea said Monday that Maresca had made clear he wanted to leave after learning of the chance to replace Guardiola at Manchester City. The club said he was still under a long-term deal and had no right to end it himself.

In Chelsea’s statement, the club said Maresca resigned unexpectedly in December 2025 and that it felt let down because it believed his attention had shifted to another opportunity. City also confirmed that confidential talks with Maresca took place last year while he was still employed by Chelsea.

Maresca, in comments published by Manchester City, said he understood that leaving Chelsea during the season had caused disruption and apologised for it. He said that was not what he intended or wanted, and added that he had been treated well at Chelsea.

Chelsea later finished ninth after parting with Maresca’s successor, Liam Rosenior, and using Calum McFarlane as caretaker, according to Reuters. The club have since appointed Xabi Alonso as manager.

Guardiola era ends

Maresca takes over from Guardiola, 55, who announced in May that he would leave Manchester City. Guardiola won six Premier League titles and one Champions League during his decade in charge, Reuters reported.

Guardiola also won the League Cup and FA Cup in his final season, though City did not add another Premier League title. His tenure made him the most successful manager in the club’s history, according to Reuters.

Maresca said City’s structure gives a manager consistency, calling the club well run, planned and purposeful. His first task will be to follow the manager who turned City into the dominant force in English football.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.