Chairman: Maresca relishing the challenge of managing City | OneFootball

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak says new Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca is relishing the challenge ahead of him.

Men's Team

City appoint Enzo Maresca as manager

The Italian was this week confirmed as the successor to Pep Guardiola and has signed three-year contract, keeping him at the Etihad through to the summer of 2029.

The rich history of Enzo Maresca

The highly respected 46-year-old is no stranger to City having made a big impact in two previous spells working at the Club.

He first led our Elite Development Squad to a maiden Premier League 2 title success in 2020/21 before then being an acclaimed assistant coach to Guardiola across the Club’s historic 2022/23 Treble-winning campaign.

Men's Team

The remarkable football journey of Enzo Maresca

Maresca steps into the role in the wake of an incredible decade under Guardiola, one that garnered 20 major trophies and a slew of domestic and global records.

However, Maresca has already accumulated a hugely successful managerial CV of his own after enjoying success and silverware in charge at both Leicester City and, more latterly, Chelsea.

Speaking with Chris Bailey in his annual end-of-season interview, the Chairman said that Maresca was both hugely excited and energised by the opportunity to build on all that has gone before him.

And he said Maresca’s in-depth knowledge of the Club along with the key relationships he has already forged here, meant he arrived armed with key skills and insights as embarks on one of the most prestigious jobs in world football.

“This is a big challenge. This scares off many people. The beauty with Enzo is he actually wants that challenge. He loves that challenge,” said Khaldoon.

“I think Enzo brings a lot to this Club.

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“I am very excited honestly about Enzo and I think the fans will appreciate him as a manager, his football philosophy, and how the team is going to perform and go from strength to strength with Maresca’s leadership.

“He was one of obviously Pep’s assistants at one point in his career.

“So definitely he has a lot, and he will tell you he’s taken a lot of inspiration in the philosophy of Pep, and you see that in his football.

“But he’s also evolved his own philosophy.

“Enzo is a known individual and a known manager, someone that has been part of this Club, part of the success of the Club, someone we all know very, very well.

“He knows us very, very well and he has been part of this family. He was part of the Academy, with the success of the Academy and then he was part of the Treble-winning team, one of the most important teams in the history of this Club.

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“So, Enzo is very known to us, and we’ve always been very, very attracted by his football, by his mind, by his humanity. He’s another very, very special individual.

“We’ve seen him evolve as a manager. He doesn’t shy away from the challenge, from taking on Leicester, to obviously then taking an important club in Chelsea and winning some important trophies [there].

“So, Enzo, I think, is an excellent fit for the team.

“The players know him very well, many of them he has coached, even in the youth teams.

“Nico O’Reilly is an example, and he knows every aspect of the Club.

“So, the transition will be smooth and more importantly his football, his brand of football, is not too different from the football we play.

“And he has, of course, his own philosophy.

“I think it’ll be a great addition to the team.”

Maresca has inherited a squad not only packed with world-class talent, but one that is predominantly youthful in age and profile with a host of players who have their prime years ahead of them.

That exciting young contingent is complimented by a group of more experienced elite talent.

For the Chairman that enticing blend, allied to the anticipated additions to the squad this summer, has only sharpened his excitement and enthusiasm looking ahead to next season and beyond.

And he also pointed to the incredible progress of Nico O’Reilly as further evidence of the Club’s enduring and iron-clad commitment to youth.

“I think next year we’re going to come back very strong,” Khaldoon added.

“Enzo is going to come in with a strong nucleus of a team with the additions that we’re going to work with him towards bringing, but we’re strong.

“We will make sure we’re going to be in an even stronger position for next season.

“We had a high conviction that Rayan [Cherki] had the potential to be quite a special player. And I remind you; he’s still a young man.

“As this team grows and you look at the team today beyond Rayan, with the strong talent from top to bottom [it’s exciting].

“From Erling [Haaland], Rodri, [Antoine] Semenyo, Jeremy Doku who has been phenomenal this season, [Abdukodir] Khusanov extraordinary, Nico O’Reilly, [Gianluigi] Donnarumma…

“In every position we have very talented young players and with the depth of experience of players like Rodri as an example, I mean, we really have quite a team.

“[We are] very proud [of Nico O’Reilly]. He’s a product of our own Academy.

“He’s a young man that went through the multiple age groups within the Club and look at him now.

“Every player I think has that crossover year, where they make that move from being a young player to a man and really make that big transition.

“Incredible talent, we’re very happy and it just shows how we keep developing great talent from this Academy.”