Manchester City have confirmed the appointment of Enzo Maresca as their new manager on a three-year contract, with the club paying Chelsea £17m in compensation. The Italian returns to the Etihad after previously serving as an assistant to Pep Guardiola for 12 months during the 2022-23 treble-winning season.
Compensation and settlement details
City paid Chelsea £17m to secure Maresca's release from his contract at Stamford Bridge. Maresca also agreed a personal settlement with Chelsea and apologised for the disruption caused by his departure at the start of the year. Chelsea stated that Maresca's resignation on 1 January was 'a major contributing factor' to their poor campaign.
'I recognise that my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise for that. It was neither my intention nor my wish,' Maresca said.
Maresca's managerial journey
Maresca took charge of Leicester City in June 2023, leading them to promotion to the Premier League at the first attempt. That success earned him the head coach role at Chelsea, where he guided the club to victory in the Conference League and the inaugural Club World Cup last year. However, a falling out with the hierarchy led to his sudden departure on 1 January, reportedly after he informed Chelsea that he had held talks with figures associated with City over replacing Guardiola.
City's vision and Maresca's style
City tracked Maresca's progress at Leicester and Chelsea, seeing that his style of play aligned with the club's philosophy. City chair Khaldoon al-Mubarak said: 'Enzo is someone who has always sought out opportunities to challenge himself and succeed in his managerial career. He brings a personality, passion and intelligence completely aligned to our needs.'
'Enzo inherits a squad and football organisation perfectly suited to reflect and evolve his brand of football, and we are all very much looking forward to seeing the impact he can have in building further on the club's success,' al-Mubarak added.
Maresca's first fixtures
Maresca will take charge of City for the first time on Saturday 1 August when they face Internazionale in a pre-season tour match in South Korea. His first competitive game will be the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday 16 August against Arsenal, followed by the opening Premier League fixture at home to Bournemouth the following weekend.
