Reports from several media outlets suggest that Italian tactician Enzo Maresca is about to take over from Pep Guardiola as manager of Manchester City – if Guardiola chooses to leave the Etihad at the end of the season.
Pep Guardiola has one season left on his Manchester City contract, which expires in the summer of 2027. However, there are increasing reports that he could potentially leave the club as early as the end of the 2025/26 season.
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The Spaniard has won 19 titles during his time at Manchester, including six Premier League trophies and the Champions League triumph in 2022/23. Now, Italian media are reporting that there is still hope that he can take over as Italy manager from Gennaro Gattuso.
Italy, who are not at the World Cup for the third time in a row, desperately need a boost. something Pep Guardiola clearly wants to be.
Maresca is ready – with a past as Guardiola’s right-hand man
If Guardiola leaves Manchester City this season, his former assistant is ready to take over. Enzo Maresca – former Leicester City and Chelsea boss – has been mentioned as the natural successor, according to The Guardian and several other British media.
Maresca spent the 2022/23 treble-winning season as an assistant to Guardiola at the Etihad, but left the club the following summer to take his first head coaching job at Leicester in the Championship. Despite leading Leicester to immediate promotion and league title, he left the Foxes at the end of the season to take over Chelsea.
Maresca left Chelsea in January, and has been unemployed ever since.
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Chelsea complications – may require compensation
According to TalkSport, Maresca is still under contract with Chelsea. Although the terms of his severance package have been described as “complicated”, it is understood that the club cannot stand in the way of the coach if he wants to take a new position elsewhere.
But here’s the catch: According to recent reports, Maresca still has contractual obligations with Chelsea. If he is to take over Manchester City, the parties will therefore have to come to an agreement.
Chelsea reportedly believe that they are entitled to compensation if Maresca takes over from Guardiola. However, if compensation is available, it will be between Chelsea and Maresca – not between Chelsea and Manchester City.
Chelsea have just acquired a new severance pension. The sacking of Liam Rosenior is costing Chelsea an unimaginable amount of money
