Manchester City have finally confirmed that Enzo Maresca will replace Pep Guardiola as the club’s new manager, and after a dig from Chelsea, the Italian has responded with a dig of his own.
It has been a long time in the making. For a few seasons, Guardiola’s long-term position at City has been a talking point, and shortly after he decided to leave after 10 years, Maresca was named as the suitor.
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City have confirmed Maresca will replace Guardiola.
But there is more to it than that. Maresca resigned as Chelsea manager on New Year’s Day, not long after winning the Conference League and Club World Cup. Chelsea have confirmed the real reason for that.
They say the Italian gaffer received an approach from Man City in December and chose to resign shortly after, a decision which led to Chelsea’s poor second half of 2025-26. Man City have paid compensation.
Chelsea have received £17m, and will also receive a fee from the man himself. The Blues aimed a dig at Maresca with their comments on Xabi Alonso, suggesting Alonso has the class not to do the same thing.
Chelsea v Bournemouth - Premier League
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
“In Xabi Alonso, we have a Manager who has an exceptional football mind; a professional of the highest integrity. He has all the attributes to deliver the success the Club’s supporters deserve and expect.”
But Maresca was not silent in making his own dig against Chelsea. On Man City’s website, he explained what gives a manager the perfect environment to work, and said he knows City will provide him with that.
“City is an incredibly well-run football club. Everything they do is innovative, planned and purposeful. For a manager, that is a dream situation. It provides the consistency I need to do my job effectively,” he said.
Chelsea v Bournemouth - Premier League
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
A clear dig of his own, with many suggestions following his sacking that Maresca was not able to work in the way he wanted as Chelsea boss due to interference from upstairs and from the medical department.
Who acted in the right way? Chelsea, City or Maresca?
City approaching Maresca while he was still Chelsea manager clearly was unethical while the Italian was still in a job. Chelsea hadn’t given permission, and that is why City and Maresca are paying compensation.
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Maresca may have felt that, with his head turned and the knowledge he would become City manager, it was not right to continue as Blues manager. But he left, and it did leave Chelsea in the lurch.
But Chelsea are wrong to suggest that the dismal second half of the season was purely down to Maresca. They were the ones to choose Liam Rosenior, and the former Strasbourg man was out of his depth.
An unsavoury situation in which none of the parties involved can be particularly proud of their behaviour. But the ones to fall victim are certainly Chelsea in this situation, eventually finishing 10th in the league.
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