Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol has described new head coach Enzo Maresca as "a perfect one" for the club, as the Italian begins the task of succeeding Pep Guardiola after his decade-long, trophy-laden reign. Maresca, who previously won the Championship with Leicester and the Club World Cup with Chelsea, took charge of City for the first time in a friendly defeat on penalties to Inter Milan in Hong Kong, with Gvardiol acknowledging it will take time for players to adapt to a new manager and tactical approach.

Gvardiol, who signed a new five-year contract at the Etihad last week, also reflected on Guardiola's departure, saying the timing felt right and that players had sensed the end was approaching after a difficult 2022-23 campaign. He missed five months of last season with a broken leg before featuring for Croatia at the World Cup, where they were eliminated by Portugal. With Bernardo Silva having left for Real Madrid and John Stones joining Inter, Gvardiol suggested Ruben Dias was likely to become the club's new leader, while saying he too would be ready to take on more responsibility.