Maresca Addresses Fixture Complaints Ahead of Manchester Derby
Enzo Maresca has no time for fixture complaints. Not his, not anyone else’s.
As Manchester City head into Sunday’s derby with two extra days’ rest than neighbours Manchester United, the Italian made it clear: this is modern football, and managers must live with it.
City wrapped up a controlled 2-0 win away at Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday night. United, by contrast, were still racking up goals 48 hours later, hammering Sabah 4-0 on Thursday. The result: Michael Carrick’s side walk into the Premier League showdown at the Etihad with less recovery, less preparation, and a ready-made talking point.
Maresca isn’t biting.
‘It happens and you need to adapt’
When asked about the apparent advantage, the City manager reached straight for recent history. His own.
He recalled last September, when City were the ones squeezed by the calendar before a huge clash with Arsenal. The Gunners had played their European tie at Athletic Club in the early Tuesday kick-off. City were in Naples for a 20:00 BST start on the Thursday. Two days later, they met at Emirates Stadium.
Back then, Pep Guardiola joked he was taking his players “hiking in the mountains” to get them ready. The schedule didn’t change. City had to.
“To be honest, the club mentioned to me that it happened exactly the same last year when the club played Napoli and then, after two days, played Arsenal,” Maresca told BBC Sport. “Sometimes it happens in football. I don’t have any doubt that Man United are going to be ready for that. It just matters to adapt.”
The message was repeated, almost like a mantra.
“I think that happens and you need to adapt,” he said, when pressed on whether things even out over a season. “It happened last year with us, this season with them, next season it will happen with a different team.”
And on how Carrick might feel about the squeeze?
“That’s a question for Michael. The only thing I can say is it happened and you need to adapt.”
A heavier calendar, same demands
This derby arrives in a season when the calendar has been stretched again. The expanded Champions League now forces teams through two extra group-stage fixtures before the end of January. English clubs then stack those European nights on top of domestic commitments, including the Carabao Cup.
City host Norwich in the third round next Thursday. United face Brighton at Old Trafford the night before. The games keep coming, the gaps between them shrink, and the expectation to win never moves.
For Maresca, that reality is non-negotiable. The rhythm is relentless; the response, in his eyes, has to be the same.
First derby, fast start
This will be Maresca’s first taste of a Manchester derby as City manager, and he walks into it with momentum firmly behind him. City have started the Premier League campaign with three wins from three, a perfect opening that has quickly quietened any early doubts about life after Guardiola.
United’s start has been far less smooth. Four points from their first three league games leaves them already glancing up the table, and now they must go to the champions’ home with tired legs and little margin for error.
Maresca understands the stakes, but he refuses to dress it up as anything other than what it is: a derby that demands clarity, not excuses.
“It is very important for different reasons,” he said. “We know how important a derby is, especially here. It is a special game.
“The most important thing we can do is try to be ourselves and then we see the final result.”
City arrive rested, ruthless and in rhythm. United arrive later, louder after a 4-0 win, but with the clock working against them.
Adapt or suffer. On Sunday, we find out who really can.
