Maresca Manchester City: Why the Etihad May Already Regret This Call?
Pep Guardiola spent a decade building one of the most formidable clubs in football history, collecting 20 trophies and rewriting the standards of Premier League dominance. So when the Spaniard confirmed his exit following a domestic cup double in 2025/26, Manchester City faced one of the most consequential decisions in their modern history. Their answer was swift. The club officially confirmed Enzo Maresca as Manchester City head coach on a three-year deal running until 2029, making the 46-year-old Italian the man trusted to keep the Etihad machine ticking. Yet several observers believe City moved too quickly, and for the wrong candidate.
1. Maresca Manchester City: A Manager Who Was Sacked Just Months Ago
The most glaring concern is that Maresca arrives at the Etihad fresh from a fractured departure at Chelsea. He was dismissed by the Blues on New Year’s Day 2026 after a disastrous run that saw Chelsea win just one of their last seven Premier League fixtures, leaving the club fifth in the table and 15 points behind leaders Arsenal. Reports from ESPN detailed a breakdown in relations between Maresca and the Chelsea hierarchy, with the Italian even skipping a post-match press conference following a draw with Bournemouth. City are appointing a manager who lost his job because pressure overwhelmed him at a top club, and the Etihad carries considerably more expectation than Stamford Bridge.
Also read: Inter Milan target Man City’s £60m star as Maresca reshapes squad
2. Maresca Manchester City: Big-Club Pressure Exposed His Weaknesses
Beyond his Chelsea exit, Maresca’s track record raises legitimate doubts about his ability to sustain results across a gruelling campaign. His only other senior head coaching experience before Chelsea was a 14-match spell at Parma in 2021 that yielded four wins before termination. Although his Leicester City promotion campaign was impressive, taking over a squad of Haaland and Rúben Dias is an entirely different proposition. City finished second in 2025/26 with 78 points, and supporters already expect their new boss to challenge for every major trophy from day one.
Also read: Maresca keen on signing £31m Chelsea star
3. Continuity in Style Does Not Guarantee Results
City’s rationale for appointing Maresca rests heavily on the idea of tactical continuity, given his background as Guardiola’s assistant during the treble-winning 2022/23 campaign. However, inheriting a philosophy and executing it without its architect are two very different things. History consistently shows that successors shaped in a dominant manager’s image rarely replicate the same success. Furthermore, a YouGov poll published ahead of the announcement found that just 40 per cent of City fans believed Maresca was the right choice, reflecting genuine unease amongst the supporter base. The Maresca Manchester City gamble may yet pay off, but the early evidence suggests Manchester City settled for comfort over ambition.
