Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca and his players are in Seoul for another few days before returning to Manchester ahead of the Community Shield clash with Arsenal.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - AUGUST 05: Head coach Enzo Maresca of Manchester City is seen during the preseason friendly match between Manchester City and Team K League at Seoul World Cup Stadium on August 05, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - AUGUST 05: Head coach Enzo Maresca of Manchester City is seen during the preseason friendly match between Manchester City and Team K League at Seoul World Cup Stadium on August 05, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
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Enzo Maresca
Manchester City players didn't manage much sightseeing in Hong Kong because of the relentless rain. The blistering heat in Korea will likely have the same effect.
With notices from the Seoul Metropolitan Government advising people to refrain from outdoor activity pinging every phone regularly throughout the day, there is no way of ignoring the heat. And while City can stay in their high-quality hotels or go to shopping malls in their free time, when it comes to doing their jobs there is no way of escaping the temperatures.
That proved to be an issue on Wednesday night as fans stayed away from the match with K League All Stars - the Seoul World Cup Stadium was less than half full - but the players had to try and build some rhythm and momentum and, first and foremost, survive the conditions.
Marcus Bettinelli came on in the second half and, bearing in mind he is a goalkeeper, was struggling to catch his breath while standing still. "I've not played for a long time and I wasn't sure whether I was dying out there of the intensity and the heat of the game or I've just been out for such a long time," he said.
"The heat was unbearable. I was shouting instructions and stuff and it was taking me four or five times to get my breath back so it was really hard. I don't know how the boys managed to do it because I was stood still, so a massive credit to the lads."
With similar conditions expected for the rest of the week, City are going to have to find a way of navigating training sessions and their match with Atletico on Sunday that allows them to come away from this week feeling like they have made progress under Enzo Maresca ahead of the Community Shield and the start of the Premier League season. The Blues land back in Manchester on Monday after flying straight home from the Atletico game.