Manchester City have announced Enzo Maresca as their new manager.
The Italian, 46, replaces Pep Guardiola on a three-year deal after a compensation settlement was agreed with Maresca’s former club, Chelsea.
He returns to City for a third spell after previously working in the club’s academy and as Guardiola’s first-team assistant.
“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. “City is an incredibly well-run football club. Everything they do is innovative, planned and purposeful.
“For a manager, that is a dream situation. It provides the consistency I need to do my job effectively.
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“This will be my third spell here. I know this club, I know the demands and I know the expectations.
“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.”
Sources close to City insist their relationship with Chelsea has not been damaged by the compensation claim for Maresca, which is understood to be around £17 million ($22.49m).
The former Leicester boss left Stamford Bridge in January after a breakdown in his relationship with club bosses.
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City, according to sources, were expecting to pay compensation for any manager they chose to replace Guardiola and insist they have been relaxed about the delay in being able to announce Maresca given that the first-team squad is either at the World Cup or on holiday.
“Enzo was the stand-out candidate in our considerations,” City CEO Ferran Soriano said.
“We know his personality and his vision for the way football should be played. He is a man with integrity, charisma and passion. In addition to his successes at Chelsea and Leicester, his City track record speaks for itself. “He managed our EDS team with distinction and was a key contributor to the historic treble season.
“We will ensure that he receives everything he needs to be successful here and we are all very much looking forward to seeing his positive impact on the next phase of the club’s progress.”
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Maresca is well known to City after two spells at the club.
He was appointed as head coach of the Elite Development Squad in 2020 and also served as Guardiola’s assistant between 2022 and 2023. He was named Chelsea head coach after guiding Leicester City to promotion to the Premier League in 2024. Maresca won the Conference League and the Club World Cup during his 18-month spell in west London.
Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is set to be Maresca’s first City signing.
A deal worth £116m has been agreed and sources have told ESPN that the midfielder, who is on duty with England at the World Cup, passed his medical in Kansas City on Sunday.
