During his first appearance: Maresca clarifies Rodri's future and responds to the controversy sparked by Chelsea's statement | Goal.com

Published on 24 Jul 2026 | Reading time: 5 minutes

Enzo Maresca has officially begun his role as manager of Manchester City, laying out the outline of his new project, through which he hopes to continue the successes the club has achieved over the past years.

In his first press conference since taking charge, the Italian spoke about his footballing philosophy, the difficulty of succeeding Pep Guardiola and the future of a number of the team's stars. He also set out his vision for the transfer market and preparations for the new season.

City turned to Maresca after he led Leicester City to the English Championship title in the 2023-2024 season. He then won the UEFA Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup with Chelsea between 2024 and 2025.

This is his third stint at Manchester City. He previously coached the elite team and worked as an assistant to Pep Guardiola within the technical staff during the 2022-2023 season.

Maresca opened the conference with a humane message, offering his condolences and support to the family of Kevin Keegan, before speaking about his feelings on returning to Manchester City. He said: "Before we begin, I would like to send a message and a warm embrace to the family of Kevin Keegan at this moment. I feel as though I have returned home, and I have felt wonderful since day one. I am very happy to be here."

His prior knowledge of the club, he explained, was one of the most important reasons he agreed to take on the task. He said: "I know the institution well, and I have known the people inside the club for years. The club's stability, and having only three managers over nearly twenty years, reflects the strength of the administrative structure and its belief in giving time to projects. From the moment Manchester City contacted me, I had no doubt about accepting this challenge."

On the summer transfer window, the Italian confirmed the management is still working to strengthen the ranks. He said: "I think there is always something that can be done, because we are seeking to achieve certain goals, but it also depends on the dynamics of the transfer market. There are likely some things that need to be done, and we are already working on them."

Succeeding Pep Guardiola ranks among the toughest tasks in football, Maresca admitted, but he sees it as a great honour. He said: "First, it is a great privilege that this club chose me. I have said more than once that Pep is perhaps the best manager in the world over the past twenty or twenty-five years. At the same time, it represents a wonderful challenge."

He added: "If we look at the history of managers who stayed for many years at their clubs, such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, we will find that they faced great challenges. My goal now is to do the right things from the start for the club and the fans."

City's stability at boardroom level, Maresca explained, gives him great confidence in the success of the project. He said: "The institution is the most important factor. This club has had only three managers over around 17 years, and that is extremely rare. That gives me confidence in our ability to continue the journey that began with Roberto Mancini, then Manuel Pellegrini, and finally Pep Guardiola."

The Italian also touched on the future of Rodri, whose name has been linked with a departure over the past period, confirming he is not worried about the speculation. He said: "Big players are always surrounded by rumours, and that is natural, especially after he won the World Cup and delivered wonderful performances. Any manager in the world would want to sign Rodri, but he will undergo surgery on Monday, and he needs rest and recovery, after which he will return to us."

Maresca refused to enter into any dispute over the statement Chelsea issued following his departure. He said: "I feel fortunate to have worked at Leicester and Chelsea, and we achieved successes and a clear identity at both clubs, and I am grateful for those two experiences. But my focus now is entirely on Manchester City, and there is nothing I have to add."

He then revealed the date on which all the players will join training. He said: "The last group of players will join three or four days before the Community Shield match, and after that the whole team will be present."

He added: "Until then, I am working with a large number of young players, and they have great energy, and some of them are delivering very impressive performances, and I am happy with what I am seeing."

Grealish, for now, is part of the team, Maresca confirmed. He said: "Jack is here, and he is a Manchester City player. My stance is always clear: as long as the player belongs to the club, it is my duty to work with him. I have a good relationship with him, because he has a big heart and a wonderful personality, and we will see what happens later."

He also commented on the situation of goalkeeper James Trafford, whom he had previously worked with in the youth team. He said: "I know James well, as he was my goalkeeper when I was coaching the under-23 team. But the transfer window is open, and anything is possible, and we will see what happens, but for now he is one of our goalkeepers."

Football's constant evolution, Maresca believes, forces managers to keep finding new solutions. He said: "Everything changes over time, and you have to adapt to that. There is development in styles of play, such as set pieces and man-to-man defending, and it is our duty as managers to find the appropriate solutions."

His coaching identity, the Italian confirmed, will not differ much from the style he presented at his previous stops. He said: "I had a clear identity with Leicester and Chelsea, and perhaps that was one of the reasons Manchester City signed me, because some of the ideas are similar to what the previous manager was presenting."

He added: "We always try to press hard when we lose the ball, to control the match, and to impose our style, while seeking to achieve the most important thing in football, which is winning matches."

Long balls could yet feature, he suggested, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal and Erling Haaland up front. He said: "That may be one of the solutions. Sometimes you need short play, and other times you need long balls, according to what the opponent imposes. Having a goalkeeper like Donnarumma and a striker like Haaland gives us a big advantage, but this will not be the only solution, as we have to find varied solutions that suit different matches."

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