Enzo Maresca breaks silence on replacing Pep Guardiola at Man City with clear dig at Chelsea

Enzo Maresca couldn’t resist taking a swipe at Chelsea upon confirmation of his appointment as Manchester City’s new manager.

The FA Cup and Carabao Cup holders parted company with Pep Guardiola at the end of last season following a decade of unprecedented success.

It had been an open secret for some time that City had lined up Maresca as the man to succeed Guardiola.

The Italian enjoyed wo previous spells on City’s coaching staff before embarking on his managerial career with Parma and then moving to Leicester City where he masterminded their Championship title-winning season.

Maresca’s work with the Foxes convinced Chelsea to appoint him as Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement two years ago.

Champions League qualification and a Conference League triumph at the end of his first campaign in charge suggested he was at the start of a fruitful relationship with the west London club.

As it transpired, however, all was not well behind the scenes and his second season at the helm ended prematurely, claiming he had grown disillusioned by a lack of support shortly before his eventual departure.

‘The last 48 hours has been the worst since I joined the club because many people didn’t support me and the team,’ Maresca said in December, shortly before Chelsea were due to face City at the Etihad Stadium.

Asked if he meant internally at Chelsea, he replied: ‘In general. In general.’

Fast forward six months and Maresca cut an altogether happier figure at his City unveiling and claimed he would thrive under the sort of set-up he claimed he was lacking at Stamford Bridge.

‘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.’

City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak believes City and Maresca are a perfect match and said the style of football the Italian favours is a reflection of the Club’s values.

‘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,’ he told City’s official website.

‘He is re-joining an organisation that is entirely in lock-step with his ambition and hunger for achievement and his return to Manchester City is therefore a welcome natural next step for both him and the Club.

‘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. Welcome home Enzo.’