Enzo Maresca has attempted a motivational speech to his Manchester City players ahead of the Liverpool showdown
Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca has tried to rally his players ahead of the showdown at Anfield(Image: Tom Flathers, Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
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Enzo Maresca has attempted to prepare his Manchester City players for the Anfield cauldron by telling them to "forget the noise." Maresca and his squad can expect a hostile reception from Liverpool fans after City were found guilty of 114 of 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.
The Etihad club, which has appealed against the verdict, could be docked points, kicked out of the top flight or stripped of titles. Some of those titles could, in theory, go to Liverpool, given the Reds were so often pipped to trophies.
City's attempt to play the victim has fallen on deaf ears with anyone outside the blue half of Manchester, prompting Maresca to go into motivational mode. According to the Daily Mail, the Italian has told his players: "Forget the noise, we're here to win a league. Let's go and win the league."
The report adds that Maresca's approach to drilling home his messages sees him 'stalk the dressing room when he talks, repeating mantras over and over, louder and louder,' leaving his players 'ready to go to war' for him.
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Maresca was similarly defiant in his pre-match press conference, telling his players to focus only on matters on the pitch. He said: "For me and the players, we can control just the pitch, the football side.
"We are focused on that. This what we can control. We cannot control something different. Viewing the environment in the last two days, I am not worried at all. The environment of the players is nice.
"In this moment we are top of the league, so the players have all the reasons to be happy and excited. It will be a tough game for sure, a tough test, but we need to be ready."
Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish lift the Premier League trophy after the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United.
There are big question marks over City's success(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
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Maresca toed the party line as he predicted City would win their appeal against the verdict, saying: "I trust the club because I know the people but I promise you my focus is just about football.
"I am not thinking about different things, first of all because I don't understand much about different things. I just focus on the things I can control and that is the football side."
Former boss Pep Guardiola, whose decade-long reign has been brought into question by the verdict, has also voiced his support, pledging his backing for "my club" and insisting "we will get through this together."
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, reacts as Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea (obscured), gives the team instructions during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC at Etihad Stadium on January 25, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
(Image: Getty Images)
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The Spaniard is due to make his first return to the Etihad since stepping down last summer, attending the Champions League fixture against Paris St Germain. Maresca said: "I spoke with Pep the last time after the Man Utd game. I know he is coming on Wednesday. It is always a pleasure.
"After 10 years here he can come any time he wants, not just for a game but for a training session, at any moment. It will be nice for him and the fans, for everyone."
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