Enzo Maresca: From Guardiola’s Assistant to City Boss

Who is Enzo Maresca?

Is Enzo Maresca replacing Pep Guardiola?

Enzo Maresca was born on 10 February 1980 in Pontecagnano Faiano, Italy. He’s a former midfielder who played for clubs including West Bromwich Albion, Juventus, Sevilla, and Málaga. As a player, his Wikipedia page records two UEFA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, two Copa del Rey titles, and one Supercopa de España — all achieved during his time in Spain, most notably with Sevilla.

After retiring in 2017, he moved into coaching. His first managerial post was with Parma’s youth team in 2020, then the senior side in 2021. A short spell at Leicester City in 2023–2024 saw him win the Championship, before Chelsea came calling in 2024.

The implication: He now steps into Guardiola’s shoes, a role lined up months before the announcement.

The Guardiola connection and the Treble season

Where is Enzo Maresca now?

The single most important line on Maresca’s CV is his year as Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City. During the 2022–23 campaign, City won the Treble — Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League — with Maresca on the coaching staff. According to BBC Sport, Maresca was Guardiola’s assistant during that historic season, a fact that now carries added weight given his return to the club.

He left City in July 2023 to take the Leicester job, where he won the Championship at the first attempt. But his next step — Chelsea — proved far more complicated.

The pattern: He returns to Manchester now as head coach, not assistant.

Chelsea tenure and the road back to City

Has Enzo Maresca left Chelsea?

Maresca spent the 2024–25 season as Chelsea head coach. He won the Conference League, which kept his trophy tally moving, but was dismissed before the end of the campaign. Reports of tension with the squad surfaced, and the club parted ways with him.

According to ESPN, City chief executive Ferran Soriano said of Maresca: “Enzo was the stand-out candidate in our considerations.” That quote came after Guardiola’s departure was announced, highlighting how City had been tracking Maresca for months.

The takeaway: He left Chelsea in 2025, and City moved quickly.

Salary and compensation: what’s actually known

What is Enzo Maresca’s salary?

Exact figures for Maresca’s Manchester City salary are not publicly confirmed. The club has not disclosed financial terms, and neither Maresca nor his representatives have commented.

At Chelsea, reports placed his annual salary at £5.1 million, though these were never officially verified by the club. For his City role, no credible figure has been published as of July 2026.

Contract length is equally opaque. No official announcement has specified whether he signed a two-year, three-year, or longer deal.

Coaching style and what he brings to City

Maresca’s style is heavily influenced by Guardiola’s positional play. At Leicester, he implemented a possession-based system with a focus on building from the back and controlling midfield. At Chelsea, the same principles were visible but produced inconsistent results.

His appointment at City suggests the club values continuity over a radical break. Maresca already knows the squad, the staff, and the club’s expectations.

Timeline of key career moments

What trophies has Enzo Maresca won?

The following table outlines the key dates in Maresca’s career.

The pattern is consistent: Maresca wins where expectations match his resources, and struggles where pressure outpaces squad harmony. His City appointment tests that balance at the highest level.

Confirmed facts vs. rumors

Confirmed facts

• Maresca was Guardiola’s assistant during City’s Treble-winning 2022–23 season — BBC Sport
• Chelsea head coach from 2024 to 2025 — BBC Sport
• Won the Conference League with Chelsea — his sole major trophy as a head coach
• Manchester City assistant (2022–2023) under Guardiola
• Won Championship with Leicester City in 2023–24
• As a player: two UEFA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup, two Copa del Rey, one Supercopa de España — French Wikipedia
• Ferran Soriano called Maresca “the stand-out candidate” for the City job — ESPN
• League titles: none as head coach yet

Rumors and unverified claims

• Exact salary at Manchester City — not publicly known
• Length of his contract with City — not confirmed
• Specific tactical plans for the City squad — no official source has detailed them
• Compensation paid by City to Chelsea: over £17 million (per Sky Sports, not officially confirmed)
• Contract length: three years (per Sky Sports, not confirmed by club)
• Player career: won Serie A with Juventus in 2002 (per Transfermarkt, not listed in other sources)
• Reported Chelsea salary of £5.1M (not officially verified)
• Net worth estimated $10–20M (not from official sources)

What people are saying about him

“Enzo was the stand-out candidate in our considerations.”

— Ferran Soriano, Manchester City chief executive, via ESPN

“Maresca was Guardiola’s assistant during City’s Treble-winning 2022–23 season.”

— BBC Sport

These two voices frame the narrative: City’s leadership sees Maresca as the natural heir, and the BBC’s reporting establishes the historical link that makes his return feel inevitable rather than surprising.

Summary: what his appointment means

Enzo Maresca arrives at Manchester City as a coach with a mixed record — a Treble as an assistant, a Championship and a Conference League as a head coach, but no league title at the top level and a Chelsea exit that exposed his limits. City’s decision to hire him anyway signals that the board values his familiarity with the club’s culture over external prestige. The risk is clear: the gap between Guardiola’s legacy and Maresca’s current standing is the widest of any City appointment in a decade. The reward would be a smooth transition that preserves the club’s identity. Only results will tell which path this season takes.