Enzo Maresca appointed Manchester City manager to succeed Pep Guardiola

Former Blues manager inks a three-year deal at Manchester City and succeeds Pep Guardiola, who stepped down in May.Manchester City have appointed Enzo Maresca as manager to replace departing coach Pep Guardiola next season, the Premier League club announced on Monday.The Italian joins City following a mid-season exit from Chelsea, with the London club saying they had reached an agreement with the Manchester club over a compensation package. British media reported the fee to be about £17 million ($22.5 million).Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Brazil, Japan face off in blockbuster World Cup last-32 clash: All to knowlist 2 of 4VIDEO: World Cup Day 18: Canada beats South Africa, through to last 16list 3 of 4Can Morocco pull off an upset and knock out Netherlands in the last 32?list 4 of 4Saudi Arabia’s early World Cup exit prompts federation chief to resignend of listMaresca, who has signed a three-year contract, brings familiarity with City’s set-up, having previously coached the club’s youth team. He was also the senior side’s assistant coach under Guardiola during City’s 2018-19 treble-winning season.“Manchester City is a club I know very well and to have the chance to manage this team is a brilliant opportunity for me,” Maresca said in a statement.“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.”Managerial journeyThe 46-year-old Italian’s managerial journey began at Parma in 2021, where he lasted 14 games, winning only four times.He was appointed Leicester City boss at the start of the 2023-24 Championship season and guided them back to the Premier League as champions.His success in the East Midlands earned him a move to Chelsea, where he was charged with steering a young but expensively assembled squad back to the Champions League.Maresca led Chelsea to victory in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup during his 18-month spell at Stamford Bridge [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]Abrupt departure at ChelseaMaresca guided Chelsea to a fourth-place finish and lifted both the Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, but his relationship with the club’s owners deteriorated and he left midway through his second season at Stamford Bridge.