Guardiola’s influence on Maresca began long before coaching career | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola might have helped launch Enzo Maresca’s coaching career, but the Spaniard’s influence on the former Chelsea head coach began long before the Italian stepped into the world of management: ‘I realised I wanted to be a coach while playing against Barcelona’.

According to reports from various outlets over the last 24 hours, Italian head coach Maresca is set to take over from Guardiola as head coach of Manchester City at the end of the 2026-27 season.

Guardiola is expected to walk away from the Etihad stadium after 10 seasons in charge, during which time he won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five EFL Cups, three Community Shields, the 2022-23 Champions League, the 2023 Super Cup and the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup.

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 27: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, acknowledges the fans after the team’s victory during the Emirates FA Cup Semi Final match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on April 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Maresca has twice previously worked for Manchester City, initially as the head of their Elite Development Squad between 2020 and 2021 before leaving to take charge of Parma in Serie B. Maresca returned to City in 2022 to serve as an assistant coach under Guardiola. They would go on to complete an historic treble together that season.

Now, Maresca looks set to return to Manchester for a third time, this time to replace the man that inspired him to become a head coach.

What Maresca said about Guardiola’s influence

Maresca spoke about the influence that Guardiola has had on his career during an interview at the Festival dello Sport in Trento back in October.

“I’ve been lucky to have a lot of great coaches, from Ancelotti to Lippi, but the style of football that has always fascinated me has been Guardiola’s,” Maresca said. “Playing against that Barcelona team with Sevilla made me realise I wanted to become a coach.”

WROCLAW, POLAND – MAY 28: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, acknowledges the fans as he walks past the UEFA Conference League trophy following his team’s victory in the UEFA Conference League Final 2025 between Real Betis Balompie and Chelsea FC at Stadion Wroclaw on May 28, 2025 in Wroclaw, Poland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Maresca has worked under another one of Manchester City’s Premier League-winning head coaches in Manuel Pellegrini.

“I was lucky enough to score two goals in the Europa League final, and to have a coach like Pellegrini, from whom I learned a lot. I also met my wife in Spain, the mother of my four children. There’s no comparison between the job of a coach and that of a father. The latter is much more difficult because you never know the right solution.”

But Guardiola is still the one that Maresca holds in the highest esteem.

“Being close to someone like Pep was fantastic, seeing how he looks at details and how he manages the team, that was fundamental for my growth.”

epa10675973 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (L) speaks to assistant manager Enzo Maresca during a training session on the UEFA Champions League media day at the City Football Academy in Manchester, Britain, 06 June 2023. Manchester City will play Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on 10 June 2023. EPA-EFE/ADAM VAUGHAN

Maresca also shared his amusing philosophy on the relationship between players and coaches: “When I was a player, my mother used to think that the players were always right and never the coaches. Now, she thinks that the coaches are always right and never the players. My wife, on the other hand, used to agree with the coaches, now she agrees with the players.”