Manchester City have appointed Enzo Maresca as their new manager, with the Italian signing a three-year contract to succeed Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. The 46-year-old returns to the club for a third spell.
City will pay Chelsea more than £17m (€20m) in compensation to secure Maresca, who left Stamford Bridge on New Year's Day, as reported by Sky in Italy.
He had three and a half years left on his contract.
The appointment ends one of the most significant managerial searches in the club's modern history, with Maresca tasked with following Guardiola's trophy-laden decade-long reign that ended at the close of the 2025/26 season.
Maresca is well known to City after two previous spells, having coached the Elite Development Squad to the Premier League 2 title in 2020/21 before serving as Guardiola's assistant during the historic 2022/23 treble-winning campaign.
"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 in a statement. "This will be my third spell here.
I know this club, I know the demands and I know the expectations."
City chief executive Ferran Soriano described the Italian as the obvious choice. "Enzo was the stand-out candidate in our considerations, " Soriano said. "We know his personality and his vision for the way football should be played.
He is a man with integrity, charisma and passion."
At exactly the same time as City confirmed the appointment, Chelsea released a strongly worded statement explaining their reasoning behind seeking compensation, claiming Maresca was contacted about the City job in the autumn of 2025 and that it had a negative impact on their season.
Maresca's 18-month spell in west London still delivered silverware, with the Italian leading Chelsea to the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup before departing by mutual consent in January following a breakdown with the club's leadership.
Guardiola leaves a daunting legacy, having delivered every major trophy during his reign, although City missed out on the Premier League title to Arsenal last season and finished as runners-up despite securing a domestic cup double.
Maresca will immediately take a central role in the summer window, with England midfielder Elliot Anderson set to become his first signing in a reported club-record deal with Nottingham Forest once he returns from the World Cup.
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