Enzo Maresca insists he can replicate Manchester City’s success under Pep Guardiola if he is given time to handle the “big changes” at the club. Maresca takes charge of his first Premier League game as City boss when Bournemouth visit the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The Italian has been hired to replace Guardiola after City’s legendary manager resigned at the end of last season.
Guardiola won 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles, during a glorious decade at the Etihad Stadium. Filling the void left by the Spaniard is a daunting task for former Chelsea boss Maresca, who has arrived in Manchester at a time of change on the pitch as well. Rodri, John Stones and Bernardo Silva have all left, while Savinho is on the verge of joining Tottenham.
City have not won the title since 2024 and last season finished seven points behind champions Arsenal, who thrashed them 3-0 in the Community Shield last weekend to underline the size of the challenge facing Maresca. It’s a big change, but it doesn’t mean that we won’t be ready to compete,” Maresca told reporters on Friday. We need to be ready; I want to compete.
The reason I’m here is because I want to try and win titles, and carry on what this club stands for in the last 15 years. But the intention is to compete as soon as possible. Maresca acknowledged he will be under immediate pressure if City do not make a strong start to the season.
When we don’t win games, everyone is upset. It’s important to win games because we are all more happy, but no doubt we are going to win games,” he said. Maresca is having to rebuild City’s squad on the fly, with Savinho and Omar Marmoush reportedly on the verge of joining Tottenham.
There are also question marks over the future of midfielder Nico Gonzalez, while Maresca has been linked with Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez and Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister. Asked if the string of departures had unsettled his plans, Maresca said: “It’s quite clear when players want to leave, for any reason, then it’s complicated to convince them to stay or change their thoughts. So, now we are waiting.” Maresca said a deal for Egypt forward Marmoush to join Tottenham remains uncertain, adding, “I don’t know.
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