Enzo Maresca has spoken about the challenge of succeeding Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager, describing the task as potentially "impossible" but also "a privilege". Guardiola stepped down at the end of last season after leading City to 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League, making him one of the most successful managers in the club's history and setting an extraordinarily high bar for his successor.

Maresca, who was Guardiola's assistant during City's 2022-23 Treble-winning campaign before managerial spells at Leicester and Chelsea, told UK media in Seoul that he met Guardiola in Barcelona to seek advice ahead of officially taking the job. He has moved into a different office at City's training ground and used his six months out of work to spend time with his family and attend AI masterclasses. He also identified the growing use of set-pieces, exemplified by Arsenal's title-winning campaign last season, as a key area where City must improve under new rules designed to speed up matches.