Enzo Maresca has spoken candidly about the challenge of stepping into Pep Guardiola's shoes at Manchester City, calling it "maybe" the impossible job — but also a privilege — as he wraps up his first pre-season in charge of the club.

Maresca sat down with travelling UK media in Seoul during City's pre-season tour to address what lies ahead. The Italian previously served as Guardiola's assistant during the club's Treble-winning 2022-23 season before going on to manage Leicester and Chelsea.

Following a legend

Guardiola departed at the end of last season after 17 major honours with City, among them six Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League triumph. Maresca is acutely aware of the shadow he steps into.

"I have said many times — he is the best manager in the world over the last 15 or 20 years," said Maresca. "When he started in Spain, everyone wanted to play like Barcelona. He moved to Germany, everyone wanted to play like Bayern Munich. He comes to England and everyone wants to play like City."

Maresca revealed he met Guardiola in Barcelona the day before officially signing his contract, spending hours picking his predecessor's brains. To signal his own identity, he has moved into the office previously occupied by former assistant Pep Lijnders — next door to Guardiola's old room, which has since been converted into a meeting space.

"I like to go in empty sometimes to see things for myself," Maresca said, "but he was here so long, he has his opinions. You have to arrive and see the full picture."

AI and a quiet summer

Between leaving Chelsea in January and taking over at City at the end of June, Maresca used the downtime to reconnect with family — his wife and four children — and to explore artificial intelligence, completing two masterclasses to better understand the technology. "Everyone is talking about AI, so I want to understand how it works," he explained.

Premier League shifts and set-pieces

Maresca identified the surge in set-piece effectiveness and man-to-man defensive structures as the most significant tactical shifts in the Premier League since his time as Guardiola's assistant three years ago. Arsenal's title-winning campaign last season included 25 set-piece goals — 19 from corners alone — and City are looking to improve in that area. Despite the stylistic changes, Maresca insists the Premier League remains the "best league" with the "best players," with six clubs capable of competing for major honours.

The captaincy question

With Bernardo Silva gone, Maresca must appoint a new captain. The leadership group currently features Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland, and Rodri — whose future remains uncertain following a failed £38.5 million bid from Barcelona. Maresca wants a homegrown player involved in that committee.

He has a light-hearted rule: when City score, the captain must come to the touchline for instructions rather than to celebrate — unless, of course, it is the captain who has scored. With Haaland in the mix, Maresca joked that could prove a dilemma.

"If Erling is the captain, we have a problem," he laughed. "In the case of Rodri, see what happens."

As the Community Shield against Arsenal approaches, Maresca is navigating the biggest decisions of his managerial career so far — and he shows no sign of wilting under the weight of expectation.