Enzo Maresca has described taking over from Pep Guardiola at Manchester City as an honor, while acknowledging that he is conscious of the difficulties encountered by those who replaced Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger at Manchester United and Arsenal.
Having assumed the reins at City last month, Maresca used his inaugural press conference to express his comprehension of the task of succeeding Guardiola, who secured 17 significant honors during his ten-year tenure and established himself as the club’s most accomplished manager.
The Italian manager stated: “Firstly, I must emphasize that this is a privilege—the club chose me. I have frequently remarked that I view Pep as arguably the finest coach globally over the past two decades or so.”
Maresca highlighted the decline at United following the appointment of David Moyes in May 2013 to replace Ferguson, who had been at the helm for 26 and a half years. Similarly, Arsenal experienced difficulties when Unai Emery took over after Wenger’s 22-year tenure ended in May 2018.
Maresca remarked: “It’s a challenge, and a welcome one. The record shows that clubs often struggle after a long-serving manager departs—we saw that with Sir Alex and Arsène. But it’s also about striving to get things right from day one for this organization, the supporters, and everyone involved.”
Maresca feels that the framework in place at City provides him with the optimum opportunity to thrive. “The setup is key,” he said, noting that under Guardiola, Manuel Pellegrini, and Roberto Mancini, the club has had just three managers in 17 years. “That’s not typical. It’s a rarity.”
“I am certain we can perform well. We can build on the work that started under Roberto, continued with Manuel, and then Pep for a decade.”
Maresca announced that Rodri is scheduled for back surgery on Monday, ruling him out of the beginning of the campaign. When questioned about the 30-year-old’s future amid rumored interest from Real Madrid, the new City boss responded.
“Firstly, speculation always surrounds top players,” Maresca noted. “That doesn’t concern me. Especially after Spain’s World Cup triumph where he was one of the standout performers, it’s natural that every coach would want Rodri—he’s a world-class talent.”
“Right now, though, he’s undergoing surgery on Monday. He requires a vacation and some rest, after which he’ll rejoin us here.”
The manager also indicated that James Trafford, the backup goalkeeper attracting interest from Leeds, and Jack Grealish, back at City after a loan spell at Everton last term, could both leave.
Maresca explained: “As it stands, Jack is a Manchester City player. I’ve always maintained that at any club I arrive at, my responsibility is to work with the players under contract, and then we’ll assess the situation as it develops.”
“I’m familiar with James because he was my goalkeeper during my time with the City Under-23s [in 2020-21]. That said, with the January transfer window open, anything is possible, so we’ll see. Currently, he remains one of our goalkeepers.”
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
