Maresca appointed Manchester City manager to succeed Guardiola after Chelsea exit

Manchester City have officially appointed Enzo Maresca as their new manager, handing the Italian the task of succeeding Pep Guardiola following a decade of unprecedented success at the Etihad.

Maresca arrives with a proven record in English football, having compiled 95 wins, 25 draws and 39 defeats from 159 matches across his managerial career — a win rate of 59.7 per cent. His teams have averaged 1.96 goals scored per game while conceding 1.06.

His most recent post was at Chelsea, where he delivered the Conference League and the Club World Cup in his first season, as well as a fourth-place Premier League finish that secured Champions League qualification for the first time in three years. He departed Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day of his second season with the club sitting fifth, having overseen 55 wins from 92 matches. A run of eight consecutive victories in late 2024 and 14 wins from his final 16 games — culminating in the Club World Cup — underlined his capacity to build momentum.

Before Chelsea, Maresca made his name in England by guiding Leicester City to the Championship title in 2023-24, winning 31 of 46 league games and finishing on 97 points — one ahead of second-placed Ipswich. His overall win rate at Leicester stood at 68 per cent, and he also took the Foxes to the FA Cup quarter-finals. He earned six Manager of the Month awards across the Championship and Premier League during his time in England.

His managerial career began less auspiciously at Parma in Italy, where he won just four of 14 games before being dismissed in November 2021.

Maresca’s connection to City predates his senior management career. He previously led the club’s elite development squad, winning Premier League 2 in 2020-21, and also served as an assistant to Guardiola — making him a familiar figure to the club’s hierarchy as they seek continuity in style and philosophy.