Enzo Maresca is closing in on a three-year deal to become the new head coach of Manchester City, replacing Pep Guardiola. The appointment is steeped in familiarity — Maresca spent a season working as one of Guardiola's assistants, and that shared history appears to be a central reason behind the club's decision.

A familiar face at the Etihad

Links between Maresca and the Etihad Stadium emerged as far back as Christmas, when he was still in charge at Chelsea. His departure from Stamford Bridge — where he stepped down after one win in seven games amid boardroom tensions — added an unusual dimension to the story. Yet Guardiola himself provided the most compelling character reference, describing Maresca in 2025 as "one of the best managers in the world."

Long before his time at Chelsea, Maresca built a strong reputation inside Manchester City's academy. As head coach of the Elite Development Squad in the 2020/21 season, he elevated the technical standards of City's under-21 side to near first-team levels. Among those who developed under him were Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer — both of whom have since flourished at the highest level.

The treble season that defined his coaching identity

After a difficult stint as Parma head coach in 2021, Maresca returned to City as Guardiola's assistant for a single, extraordinary season — the campaign in which City claimed the treble. During that run, club footage captured Guardiola and Maresca working side by side at half-time of the Champions League final, sketching out how to break down Inter Milan.

Brian Barry-Murphy, who succeeded Maresca as City's EDS head coach and now manages Cardiff City, offered a vivid account of the Italian's approach during that period. "Enzo is very similar to Pep," Barry-Murphy told Sky Sports in 2024. "When he came back to work as Pep's joint-assistant, he was so active and so involved in the coaching. You could see the respect players had for him was instant. That's why he was so important."

Barry-Murphy elaborated on the shared coaching philosophy between the two managers. "They see the game in similar ways. The way they coach is a total dedication to improving the players. That core way of playing and coaching is similar. Enzo would be involved in everything — coaching all the players at different times."

He also shed light on the daily work that underpins Guardiola's celebrated tactical innovations. "What we don't see is the amount of work that goes into the technical actions to give the team the confidence — they've worked on those technical concepts every single day of every single week. Enzo was in line with that and was very helpful to the players to improve those technical actions and concepts."

What Chelsea revealed about his methods

Maresca's one full season at Chelsea before his exit yielded genuine evidence of his coaching quality. In the 2024/25 campaign, Chelsea ranked first in the Premier League for direct attacks and second for shots from counterattacks, shots on target, big chances created, and expected goals. Mikel Arteta went as far as calling Chelsea "the best attacking team in the league — in open play, by a mile" after Arsenal beat them 1-0 at the Emirates, attributing it directly to the manager.

Maresca also led Chelsea to Champions League qualification, a European trophy, and the FIFA Club World Cup — achievements that Guardiola himself acknowledged have not received sufficient recognition. "The job he has done at Chelsea does not get enough credit," Guardiola said.

The rebuild that awaits

The task ahead at Manchester City is substantial. Of the treble-winning squad Maresca once worked with, only Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Rico Lewis, Rodri, Phil Foden, and Erling Haaland remain — and the futures of Rodri and Ake are uncertain. Departures also include Bernardo Silva and John Stones alongside Guardiola's own exit, leaving Maresca to oversee one of the most significant rebuilding projects in the club's recent history.

Whether his experience — at youth level, alongside a generational coaching talent, and then leading Chelsea through a turbulent but ultimately productive cycle — equips him to manage that transition smoothly is the question that will define his time at the Etihad.