Enzo Maresca confirmed as Manchester City manager on three-year deal after eight-figure Chelsea compensation

Manchester City have confirmed the appointment of Enzo Maresca as their new manager, with the 46-year-old Italian signing a three-year deal at the Etihad Stadium after the club agreed an eight-figure compensation package with Chelsea.

Maresca succeeds Pep Guardiola, who left City at the end of last season following a remarkable tenure that included the 2022-23 Treble. City had initially hoped to announce the appointment sooner, but compensation negotiations with Chelsea proved more protracted than the club anticipated.

The Italian arrives with significant prior ties to the club. He managed City’s Under-21 side during the 2020-21 season before returning as Guardiola’s assistant in the Treble-winning 2022-23 campaign. In between those two spells, he took charge of Parma but was sacked after a short tenure.

Maresca’s managerial record since then has been considerably stronger. He won promotion to the Premier League with Leicester City and, at Chelsea, claimed the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup — silverware that will have done little to dampen City’s enthusiasm for the appointment.

City cited both his development as a coach and his existing familiarity with the club’s structure as key factors in the decision.

Maresca will be thrown into action quickly. His first matches in charge come during City’s pre-season tour of Asia, where they face Inter Milan, the K-League All Stars, and Atletico Madrid. The competitive calendar then opens with the Community Shield against Arsenal on Sunday, 16 August, before City begin their Premier League season at home to Bournemouth the following week.