Manchester City has officially announced the appointment of Enzo Maresca as its new manager, marking his third spell at the club. Maresca has signed a three-year contract, which extends until the summer of 2029. This move follows his departure from Chelsea FC, where he resigned unexpectedly in December 2025.
Maresca expressed his familiarity with Manchester City, stating that the opportunity to manage the team is a brilliant one. He described the club as incredibly well-run, highlighting its innovative, planned, and purposeful approach. He believes this environment provides the consistency necessary for a manager to perform effectively.
Manchester City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak commented that Maresca and the club are a perfect match, noting that the Italian’s preferred style of football aligns with the club’s values. Al Mubarak praised Maresca’s personality, passion, and intelligence, which he believes are completely aligned with the club’s needs. He added that Maresca is re-joining an organisation that is in lock-step with his ambition for achievement.
Chief Executive Officer Ferran Soriano identified Maresca as the standout candidate during their selection process. Soriano highlighted Maresca’s integrity, charisma, and passion, along with his vision for how football should be played. He also referenced Maresca’s previous successes at Chelsea and Leicester, as well as his track record with City‘s EDS team and his contribution to the historic Treble season.
Maresca’s return to Manchester City comes after a period of significant change at Chelsea. The London club stated that the 2025/26 season was hugely disappointing, largely due to the disruption caused by changes to the Head Coach position over the Christmas period. Chelsea explained that their former Head Coach, now identified as Maresca, left the club on 1 January 2026.
According to Chelsea, in autumn of last year, Maresca informed the club of a potential opportunity to succeed Pep Guardiola at the end of the season. It became clear that he had a strong desire to pursue this opportunity, despite being under a long-term contract with Chelsea that he had no right to terminate.
In December 2025, Maresca resigned abruptly from his position. Chelsea felt let down, believing his focus had shifted to another club and opportunity, despite having joined Chelsea only the year before. The club stated that they were left with no choice but to accept his resignation to protect their players, supporters, and the club’s badge, given his decision not to continue fulfilling his responsibilities.
A confidential settlement has been reached with Manchester City, which includes the payment of compensation. Additionally, a confidential settlement was reached with Maresca, under which he will pay compensation to Chelsea. Chelsea has since appointed Xabi Alonso as their new Manager, praising his exceptional football mind and high integrity.
Maresca’s time at Chelsea, which began in 2024 after he moved from Leicester City, was marked by an agreed strategy focusing on coaching while others managed backroom staff, medical departments, and transfers. He was aware of the transfer policy, which involved signing young players from ‘lesser’ leagues to create the youngest team in the Premier League.
Despite this, difficulties arose in his working relationship with the Chelsea ownership. Maresca reportedly did not expect decisions on team selection to be influenced. He was encouraged to rotate his squad but felt that doing so in the Premier League often resulted in dropped points. He openly urged reporters to question the club’s hierarchy, which caused frustration within the club as he sought to make complaints public rather than discussing them internally.
Maresca and his agent had informed Chelsea on two occasions of interest from Manchester City. This interest emerged at a time when Pep Guardiola had reportedly praised Maresca as the best manager in the league. Maresca also notified Chelsea of interest from Juventus, while also expressing a willingness to stay despite these approaches. He indicated that speculation would cease if he were offered a new contract, having only completed 18 months of his initial deal, which was set to run until 2029.
Maresca admitted that his comments after the Everton match were premeditated, rejecting the club’s claim that they were an emotional outburst. He is now set to begin his new role at Manchester City, with the club expressing eagerness to see his impact on their continued success.
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Source: chelseafc.com
Harry Loxley is a Senior Football Correspondent at NewsGB.org. He spent his early career reporting East Midlands football. He focuses on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Derby and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Derby, he watches non-league and runs a fan podcast. “Good football writing follows the people, not just the points.”