Man City confirm Enzo Maresca compensation settlement with Chelsea in official statement | OneFootball

Manchester City have released an official statement on the appointment of Enzo Maresca as their new manager, confirming that a mutually agreed compensation settlement has been reached with Chelsea.

The statement brings formal clarity to a saga that had been one of the most closely followed storylines of the summer, with compensation talks between the two clubs having delayed City’s ability to formally announce Enzo Maresca as Pep Guardiola‘s successor for several weeks following his departure from Chelsea on New Year’s Day.

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano have previously spoken in glowing terms of Maresca, with Al Mubarak offering an update on the managerial process as talks progressed, but the full picture of how the appointment came to be has only now been made public through official statements from Manchester and London.

Confidential conversations, Chelsea’s permission & a mutually agreed settlement

Upon a formal confirmation of Maresca’s appointment as the new Manchester City manager, the club have released a statement admitting to recruitment conversations with the Italian disrupting Chelsea’s 2025-26 season.

The statement read: “Enzo Maresca has long been regarded by the club as a candidate within our succession planning. As a former successful coach within our system, Enzo has a strong relationship with the Club’s leadership and he understands how we work and evolve.

“We can confirm that confidential conversations took place between select representatives of City and Enzo Maresca in autumn and winter of 2025, while he was Chelsea FC’s Head Coach, regarding the possibility of him returning to City in a transitional leadership coaching capacity should Pep Guardiola decide to leave.

“We acknowledge Chelsea’s statement regarding the context of Enzo’s departure from Chelsea. We also acknowledge the context in which permission for discussions was given, and we recognise his departure mid-season was disruptive to Chelsea’s season.

“Once terms were agreed with Enzo Maresca, Manchester City and Chelsea reached a mutually agreed settlement under which Chelsea will receive compensation.”

Maresca: “My resignation from Chelsea opened a path for me to join Manchester City”

Maresca himself has addressed the circumstances of his departure from Chelsea directly, offering an apology for the disruption his mid-season resignation caused while making clear the decision to leave was his alone.

A statement from the new Manchester City manager read: “At the end of December 2025, I made the difficult decision to leave Chelsea. The decision was only mine. My resignation from Chelsea opened a path for me to join Manchester City, which is a club I knew very well.

“I’m ecstatic I’ve now joined Manchester City. I recognise my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise. It was neither my intention nor my wish.

“I was treated well by everyone at Chelsea and together we achieved great success and memories I will always treasure. I am grateful to the club, the owners and fans for giving me the opportunity.”

What does City’s statement reveal about the wider context of Maresca’s appointment?

The level of transparency in City’s statement is notable and its acknowledgment of Chelsea’s position – rather than a straightforward announcement – reflects the degree to which the compensation dispute had shaped the public narrative around the appointment throughout the spring.

Guardiola had previously conveyed a message to his successor – urging them to trust the club and embrace the Etihad Stadium environment – and City’s framing of Maresca’s return as part of a long-standing succession plan – rather than a reactive appointment – underlines the considered, deliberate nature of the process from the club’s perspective.

With the compensation matter now resolved and Maresca formally in place, attention at the Etihad Stadium turns firmly to the summer ahead, with the £116 million signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest agreed and director of football Hugo Viana understood to be working through further additions across several positions before the window closes.