Manchester City have confirmed the appointment of former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as their new manager.
He replaces Pep Guardiola who stepped down from the position after a trophy-laden ten years at the club.
Maresca had worked as Guardiola's assistant before deciding to depart for Leicester in 2023, subsequently guiding them to the Sky Bet Championship title in his only season at the helm.
That led to Chelsea opting to bring him to Stamford Bridge, a position he held for 18 months before resigning back in January after delivering both the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
"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 on City's club website.
"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."
In a statement of their own, Chelsea opted to outline to supporters the events which led to Maresca's departure in what developed into an underwhelming campaign, one which saw them finishing 10th in the Premier League table.
In the autumn of 2025, they claim Maresca made them aware of the potential of replacing Guardiola at the end of the season.
"It became clear to us that it was his strong desire to succeed Guardiola and that he was fully committed to pursuing the opportunity, despite the fact he was under a long-term contract which he had no right to terminate," Chelsea said.
"In the circumstances and given the mutual respect between clubs, a confidential settlement has been reached with Manchester City, which includes the payment of compensation.
"A confidential settlement has also been reached with the former Head Coach under which he will pay compensation."
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
