Is Enzo Maresca Ready To Replace Pep Guardiola At Manchester City?

BusinessSportsMoneyIs Enzo Maresca Ready To Replace Pep Guardiola At Manchester City?ByGraham Ruthven,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I am a soccer writer based in the United KingdomFollow AuthorMay 22, 2026, 06:11pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea walks on the pitch after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on December 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)Getty ImagesSucceeding Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager might be an impossible job. The Catalan coach has had an unmatched influence on the Etihad Stadium club, and the Premier League as a whole, over the course of the last 10 seasons. Enzo Maresca, however, will attempt to do the impossible. Reports claim the former Chelsea and Leicester City boss will replace Guardiola who he worked under as an assistant manager at Manchester City. Maresca was fired by Chelsea at the end of 2025 and has been strongly linked with the job at the Etihad Stadium over a number of months.COLUMBUS, OHIO - AUGUST 03: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea talks to Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City after the Pre-Season Friendly match between Chelsea FC and Manchester City at Ohio Stadium on August 03, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)Chelsea FC via Getty ImagesIn many ways, Maresca makes sense as a successor for Guardiola. He is the continuity candidate having worked under the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss. Maresca knows how Manchester City works as a club behind the scenes and won’t be shocked by the demands of elite-level soccer.Maresca’s raw qualifications, however, are somewhat lacking. He led Chelsea to the Club World Cup last summer, but otherwise struggled to point the Stamford Bridge side in the right d...