Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed his gratitude towards Manchester City and their manager, Pep Guardiola, ahead of his return to the Etihad Stadium for the Premier League clash with the reigning champions.
Maresca, who has worked closely with Guardiola at City on two separate occasions, reflected on the positive impact the club has had on his career.
Having initially joined City as the coach of their Elite Development Squad in 2020-21, Maresca guided the team to their first-ever Premier League 2 title before taking on a managerial role at Parma. After a brief spell in Italy, City called him back to work as one of Guardiola’s assistants.
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Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Maresca said: “My contact with him [Pep], the club, is fantastic. I will always be thankful to Manchester City. The reason why is because they called me back after an Italian club sacked me after two or three months. We [Maresca and Pep] have a fantastic relationship in terms of friendship.”
Maresca, who was part of the coaching staff that helped City secure a historic European and domestic treble during the 2022-23 season, credited his time at City for playing a pivotal role in his development as a manager.
Reflecting on the club’s success, Maresca said: “What is not normal is the amount of years they have won trophies, this is not normal. What is normal is to live moments like they are living in this moment. But they will be back soon, I have no doubt.”
Despite City’s recent struggles, Maresca knows firsthand how resilient the club can be, and he stressed that facing City, even when they’re not at their best, is always a challenge. “When they are in a difficult moment, it is when they want to show how good they are,” Maresca explained. “They want to go against everyone saying, ‘If you think we’re not good enough, we’ll show everyone how good we are.’”
As Chelsea prepare for their trip to the Etihad, Maresca remains focused on the task at hand and is determined to secure a win, despite the challenges of facing Guardiola’s side.
“We’re going to try to win tomorrow,” Maresca concluded.
