Pep Guardiola left Manchester City after the season.
Now it is clear that Enzo Maresca will succeed the Spaniard.
At the same time, Maresca’s former club directs sharp criticism towards the Italian.
Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, 46, is returning to the Premier League. The Italian takes over at Manchester City, where he has previously made two turns as youth and assistant coach.
– Manchester City is a club I know very well and getting the chance to coach this team is a brilliant opportunity for me, says Maresca to the club’s homepage.
The 46-year-old has a long career behind him both as a player and coach, and in addition to Chelsea, Maresca has previously also coached Leicester City in England. With Leicester, Maresca won The Championship in 2024 and during his time at Chelsea he won both the Conference League and the Club World Cup.
Criticized by Chelsea
However, the end in Chelsea was far from painless.
In a statement, Chelsea now express their disappointment at Maresca’s actions.
“Last autumn the club was informed by our former head coach (Enzo Maresca) that there could be an opportunity for him to succeed Pep Guardiola after the season. It became clear to us that his strong desire was to do so, despite having a long-term contract”writes Chelsea on its website.
Maresca resigned from Chelsea in December 2025, which the club now describes as a betrayal.
Chelsea, now coached by Xabi Alonso, ends his statement with a sour jab at Maresca:
“In Xabi Alonso, we have a coach with an exceptional understanding of football – and who is a professional with high integrity”.
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