Both the club and Maresca have agreed separate compensation payments to Chelsea
Manchester City have confirmed that Enzo Maresca will be the club’s new head coach after the Italian signed a three-year contract to succeed Pep Guardiola.
City have agreed to pay Chelsea compensation worth around £17m for Maresca. The coach himself will also make some payment to his former club after abruptly leaving Stamford Bridge at the start of the year.
Maresca resigned at Chelsea in January and the club claim that losing their head coach midway through the season significantly affected their campaign. Chelsea were in the top five when Maresca left the club but ultimately ended in 10th place.
“No club wants to change its head coach midway through a season,” the club said in a statement. “In the circumstances and given the mutual respect between clubs, a confidential settlement has been reached with Manchester City, which includes the payment of compensation.
“A confidential settlement has also been reached with the former head coach under which he will pay compensation.”
Maresca’s succession of Guardiola at City has been an open secret since he stepped down from his role at Chelsea in January. Guardiola confirmed at the end of the season that he would be leaving the club where he has spent the past decade.
A deal had already been agreed between Maresca and City by the time of Guardiola’s formal announcement in the final few weeks of the season, but negotiations between City and Chelsea over compensation delayed the formal announcement.
The 45-year-old returns to the Etihad having previously worked under Guardiola a an assistant. He was part of City’s coaching staff during their treble-winning campaign in 2022-23.
“Manchester City is a club I know very well and to have the chance to manage this team is a brilliant opportunity for me,” Maresca said. “City is an incredibly well-run football club. Everything they do is innovative, planned and purposeful. For a manager, that is a dream situation. It provides the consistency I need to do my job effectively.
“This will be my third spell here. I know this club, I know the demands and I know the expectations. The quality of the people who work here is what makes it so special, and I want to thank them for showing faith in my ability. I cannot wait to start coaching the players. I want us to win, play good football and enjoy the pressure of representing Manchester City.”
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City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak said: “Enzo is someone who has always sought out opportunities to challenge himself and succeed in his managerial career. He brings a personality, passion and intelligence completely aligned to our needs.
“Enzo inherits a squad and football organisation perfectly suited to reflect and evolve his brand of football, and we are all very much looking forward to seeing the impact he can have in building further on the Club’s success.”
