AFCON 2025
Manchester City have officially unveiled Enzo Maresca as Pep Guardiola’s successor on a three-year deal, nearly seven months after the Italian’s acrimonious exit from Chelsea on New Year’s Day. The announcement came alongside an explosive statement from Chelsea detailing the circumstances of his departure.
Chelsea’s statement revealed that Maresca first informed the club in autumn 2025 of a possible opportunity to take over at City, despite being under a long-term contract he had no right to terminate.
“In December 2025, our head coach unexpectedly and abruptly resigned from his position,” the statement read, adding that a confidential settlement had been reached with both City and Maresca, with the agreement including the payment of compensation from City and a separate compensation arrangement from the former head coach himself.
According to reports, City will pay Chelsea £17m in compensation after Maresca left with three-and-a-half years still remaining on his contract.
Maresca addressed the saga directly on Instagram, insisting the decision to leave was entirely his own. “I recognise that my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise for that,” he wrote, adding that he was “ecstatic” to be joining City.
Maresca’s time at Stamford Bridge, though just 18 months long, delivered significant silverware. He guided Chelsea to a fourth-place Premier League finish and Champions League qualification in his first season, before lifting two trophies: a 4-1 win over Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final in May 2025, followed by a 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final two months later.
His exit, however, came amid a difficult start to the following campaign, with Chelsea managing just two wins from their opening six league matches before he departed.
Maresca now returns to the Etihad for a third spell, having previously worked under Guardiola as head of the Elite Development Squad and later as his first-team assistant between 2022 and 2023.
