The Athletic – Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is high among the candidates Manchester City are considering in case Pep Guardiola exits the Etihad Stadium next summer.
According to numerous well-placed sources outside the club — speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships — there is a growing anticipation of this being Guardiola’s last season at City. A firm decision will likely be made closer to the campaign finishing.
In the meantime, City are advancing contingency planning for the possibility of that outcome materialising.
Having previously worked there at youth and senior levels, Maresca retains admirers in the hierarchy and is expected to figure prominently if a vacancy arises, although he would not be the only contender.
Guardiola is contracted until June 2027, thanks to a new deal signed in November 2024 which extended terms that were approaching their final six months.
It gives both parties time and, historically, the 54-year-old has left it relatively late before determining his future.
The Athletic has received no suggestion that the more than 100 Premier League charges against City, which they vehemently deny, have any bearing on Guardiola’s situation.
Maresca (centre left) was part of Guardiola’s (centre right) staff at City during the 2021-22 seasonLindsey Parnaby/AFP via Getty Images
Maresca is well known to the 10-time English champions from two spells either side of a stint as head coach of Italian club Parma. He led City’s Under-21s for the 2020-21 season and returned as a first-team assistant in the summer of 2022.
The Italian’s Chelsea contract runs through to 2029, with an option to extend by 12 months, although uncertainty has arisen in recent days after he called the build-up to Saturday’s home victory over Everton “the worst 48 hours since I joined the club, because many people didn’t support us”.
He declined to elaborate during subsequent news conferences but has repeatedly spoken of an affinity with the Chelsea fans, most recently following Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final win at Cardiff City.
Maresca, 45, switched representatives to the so-called ‘super agent’ Jorge Mendes in the Autumn, a move that will be designed to support his journey in management.
Speaking to ESPN Brasil in May, Guardiola pledged to take a break from football upon departing City, who he joined almost a decade ago.
“After my contract with City, I’m going to stop,” the Catalan said. “I am sure. I don’t know if I’m going to retire, but I’m going to take a break.”
Guardiola was quizzed on the topic again in October, when former assistant Carles Planchart suggested he should step back from the game.
“At the moment, I think I have the energy with my players to simply make a better season than last season,” Guardiola explained. “There is the margin that we can do better in many aspects and that gives me the energy that it’s not job done. It’s completely unfinished business. That’s why I am here.”
Operating under Guardiola in 2022-23 preceded Maresca’s appointment by Leicester City and he immediately oversaw their promotion to the Premier League, only to then join Chelsea as Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement.
They finished fourth in the top-flight and lifted the Conference League and expanded Club World Cup titles at the first attempt.
Chelsea currently occupy fourth place in the table after 16 games, while Guardiola’s City are six points ahead of them in second.
