Enzo Maresca Begins Era as Manchester City Manager
Enzo Maresca walked into his first day as Manchester City manager with his eyes wide open. Following Pep Guardiola, he knows, is not a normal job. It is stepping into the space left by a man who reshaped a club, a league, and in many ways the sport itself.
He called it what it is: a privilege.
“The club decided to go for me,” the Italian said, sitting in the chair that has belonged to Guardiola for the past decade. “I consider Pep probably the best coach in the world in the last 20, 25 years.”
That is the scale of what he inherits: 17 major trophies in 10 years, a treble, a domestic dominance that has turned City into English football’s defining power. Maresca is not pretending this is just another job.
Lessons from Ferguson and Wenger
The warning signs from history are obvious, and Maresca did not shy away from them. When Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down at Manchester United in 2013 after 26 and a half years, David Moyes lasted less than one season. Arsenal spent years searching for themselves after Arsène Wenger’s 22-year reign ended in 2018, Unai Emery the first to discover how hard it is to follow a legend.
“It’s a challenge. It’s nice,” Maresca said. “Also, the history of the manager with many years in the same club always struggled a little bit. After Sir Alex, after Arsène.”
He knows exactly what he is walking into. The standards are brutal, the comparisons inevitable. But he framed it not as a burden, but a test.
“It’s a challenge to try to do the right things immediately for this organisation, for the fans, for everyone.”
A club built on continuity
If United and Arsenal became case studies in how turbulent the post-dynasty years can be, City have spent more than a decade building the opposite: stability.
“The organisation is the main thing,” Maresca said, leaning on one of the club’s proudest statistics. “This club, this organisation, they had three managers in 17 years.”
Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini, Pep Guardiola. Three men, nearly two decades, and a clear line of succession and style that has carried City from noisy neighbours to serial champions.
“This is not normal. It doesn’t happen often,” Maresca added. And that, he believes, is his biggest advantage.
“I’m confident that we can do a great job. We can continue to do the job that has been done since Roberto was here, then after Manuel and for 10 years Pep.”
The message is clear: evolution, not revolution. City did not hire Maresca to rip anything up. They hired him to keep the machine moving.
Rodri blow and Real Madrid noise
If the long-term project looks aligned, the short-term reality is more awkward. Maresca confirmed that Rodri will undergo back surgery on Monday and is set to miss the start of the season.
For a team that has been built around the Spaniard’s control and reliability, it is a significant early problem.
On top of that, Real Madrid are circling. The new manager was asked directly whether the 30-year-old’s future remains at City, with the European champions considering a move.
“First of all, around big players there is always speculation,” Maresca replied. “I’m not worried about that.”
He pointed to Rodri’s status as one of the game’s elite midfielders, fresh from international glory.
“Also because they [Spain] won the World Cup and he was the best player or one of the best players, I think every manager wants to have Rodri because he’s a top player.”
For now, though, City’s concern is medical, not market-based.
“But now he has surgery on, I think, Monday. He needs holiday, rest. Then he will be back here with us.”
The reassurance was deliberate. Rodri is central to what City are and what Maresca wants them to remain.
Futures of Grealish and Trafford in the balance
The new manager also faces decisions on the fringes of his squad, where careers can pivot in a single window.
James Trafford, currently second-choice goalkeeper and of interest to Leeds, is one of them. So is Jack Grealish, back at City after a loan spell at Everton and again at a crossroads.
“Jack, at the moment, he’s a Man City player,” Maresca said. The phrasing mattered. Present tense, no guarantees.
“I always said the same – in any club I join, I like to know if there are players that belong to the club, it’s my duty to try to coach them. Then we see what happens.”
That last line hung in the air. Grealish’s future, like many in this squad, will be shaped by how he fits into Maresca’s vision, not Guardiola’s.
Trafford is a different case, but one Maresca knows well.
“I know James because he was my keeper when I was with the City Under-23s [in 2020-21],” he said. There is trust and familiarity there, but also realism about the market.
“But again, when the transfer window is open now, January, anything can happen. So we see. But at the moment, he’s one of our keepers.”
City’s new era, then, begins with a familiar mix: huge expectations, a clear structure, and a few uncomfortable questions. Maresca has embraced the scale of the job. What comes next will show whether City have found the rarest thing in modern football – a smooth handover after a dynasty.
