Manchester City appoints Enzo Maresca as manager to replace Guardiola

Manchester City have announced the appointment of Enzo Maresca as manager on a three-year contract through June 2029, replacing Pep Guardiola who departed after a decade in charge at the end of the 2025-26 season.

The 46-year-old Italian has signed the deal following negotiations between City and Chelsea over a compensation package. Manchester City are paying Chelsea approximately £17 million for Maresca's release, with the former Blues manager also agreeing a separate personal settlement with the west London club. Maresca apologised for the impact of his departure from Chelsea in January.

Maresca left Chelsea on January 1 following a run of one win in seven Premier League matches. He had informed Chelsea on three occasions—twice in late October and again in mid-December—that he was in dialogue with people associated with City regarding his candidacy for the managerial position.

The appointment marks Maresca's return to Manchester City, where he has prior experience with the club. He previously served as an assistant to Guardiola during the 2022-23 season, when City won the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup. He also worked with City's under-23 team earlier in his career.

At Chelsea, Maresca managed the club for approximately one and a half years, during which he won the Conference League and the Club World Cup in 2025. Before his Chelsea tenure, he managed Leicester City during the 2023-24 season, leading the club to promotion to the Premier League.

Maresca has already begun collaborating closely with City sporting director Hugo Viana on the club's summer transfer planning and pre-season schedule. In a statement, Maresca said Manchester City is a club he knows well and that having the opportunity to manage the team is a brilliant prospect for him. He added that this will be his third spell at the club and that he knows the club's requirements and expectations. He expressed eagerness to begin training the players and stated his desire for the team to win while playing good football.