Enzo Maresca has begun his tenure as Manchester City manager by enacting immediate changes, most notably relocating his office from the space previously occupied by Pep Guardiola to one formerly belonging to Pep Lijnders. This decision symbolizes the reset Maresca has been communicating to his players during pre-season training.
Maresca's approach was significantly shaped by a private dinner with Guardiola in Barcelona prior to his move. During this meeting, Guardiola shared insights into the personalities of City's players, detailing their reactions to being dropped from the squad. Maresca described the conversation as "useful" for his own understanding of the team dynamics.
"He was here for so long and he has his opinions," Maresca said of Guardiola. "He will be there (available) but he has to enjoy his holiday. He has to relax, so the idea is not to be calling him all the time. You have to decide which moments are the right time to pick up the phone and talk to him."
Maresca, who served as an assistant under Guardiola during the Treble-winning season before managing Leicester City and Chelsea, emphasized that this is "Maresca's City." The new manager is keen to forge his own identity with the club, encouraging his players to move past past emotions associated with the previous regime.
During the team's pre-season tour in Seoul, Maresca has been actively engaged with his squad, even amidst challenging weather conditions. Training sessions have shown progressive sharpness as he instills his tactical concepts. The return of key players like Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland, and Rayan Cherki to Manchester signals the start of more intensive preparations, with Arsenal looming in the Community Shield.
Erling Haaland, who maintained contact with Maresca since 2023, is a crucial lieutenant and part of the leadership group. However, Maresca has decided against naming Haaland as first-choice captain, citing the striker's prolific goal-scoring record. "At Leicester and Chelsea, I had a rule that when we scored, the captain had to come to the bench for instructions," Maresca explained. "If Erling is the captain, f
, we have a problem. Can you imagine?"
Maresca has also focused on tactical adjustments, particularly in navigating teams that employ man-to-man marking. He studied various strategies for countering this approach during his time away from coaching. "Everyone goes man-to-man. I’m not sure it’s going to continue like that," Maresca observed, referencing matches where this tactic proved unsuccessful against stronger opponents.
He has also explored advancements in artificial intelligence, attending masterclasses to understand its potential applications in football. "I did two AI masterclasses because it’s like now everyone goes man to man, everyone is talking about AI. I wanted to understand how it works and have more knowledge."
Maresca is aware of the inevitable comparisons to Guardiola but remains unfazed. "I know people will be comparing it to Pep after 10 games," he stated. "It doesn’t put pressure on me. I’ve said many times that he’s the best manager in the world over the last 20 years. Someone asked me if it’s the impossible job to follow him. Maybe, but at the same time it’s a privilege."