Manchester City on Monday hired former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca to lead the club into a new era after Pep Guardiola stepped down at the end of last season.

Maresca agreed a three-year contract with City after being forced to wait several weeks to seal his move to the Etihad Stadium.

"Manchester City is a club I know very well and to have the chance to manage this team is a brilliant opportunity for me," said Maresca, who previously coached Leicester in the Championship and Chelsea in the Premier League.

"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."

The 46-year-old Maresca had been strongly linked with the City job once reports emerged of Guardiola's potential exit.

But Maresca's arrival in Manchester was held up by Chelsea's demand for a reported £17 million compensation package for the Italian, who was still contracted to the Blues until 2029 when he departed in January.

Chelsea took the unusual step of issuing a statement, on the announcement of Maresca's appointment, to explain he had informed them earlier in the season "there might be an opportunity for him to succeed Pep Guardiola at the end of the season".

"In December 2025, our head coach unexpectedly and abruptly resigned from his position," the club added.

"Obviously, we felt let down."

Maresca will be tasked with restoring City to the summit of English football after two years without the Premier League title.

He has experience of life at City after spending the 2022-23 season as one of Guardiola's assistants, helping them win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble.

The former Juventus and West Brom midfielder also coached City's elite development squad to the "Premier League 2" title in 2020-21.

Maresca added: "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." (AFP)


Edited by Edmond Fong