On Friday afternoon, Enzo Maresca held his first press conference as the new manager of Manchester City. In addition to discussing his plans for the Sky Blues, he also spoke about the summer transfer window—in particular, Rodri, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. However, Rodri is currently undergoing back surgery.
There were plenty of questions at Enzo Maresca’s first press conference as Manchester City’s new head coach. After all, Pep Guardiola shaped the Sky Blues for an entire decade. The legacy he leaves behind is correspondingly immense. And so Maresca, who once served as Guardiola’s assistant coach, spoke highly of his former boss.
“I’ve said many times that I consider Pep to be the best coach in the world over the past 20 to 25 years,” emphasized the 46-year-old Italian. Taking over after the ten-year Pep era is, on the one hand, a challenge for him, but on the other hand, it feels like “coming home”—it’s a “privilege.” After all, Maresca was part of the Citizens’ coaching staff during the 2022–23 treble-winning season before moving to Chelsea via Leicester City. There, he suffered a setback following his dismissal on January 1 of this year.
Maresca on his Chelsea exit: “Nothing to add”
Maresca didn’t want to dwell on his departure from Chelsea, however—there was “nothing to add.” At the same time, he emphasized that Man City is a club that gives its coaches time. “Three coaches in 17 years isn’t normal” and doesn’t happen often—just look at his former club, Chelsea. “I’m confident that we can continue to do an excellent job and stay the course we’ve been on for the past 14 or 15 years, ever since Roberto Mancini took over.”
The first high-profile signing was Elliot Anderson, who cost 135 million euros. City immediately loaned Mathys Detourbet back to AS Monaco. Maresca announced that these won’t be the last: “There’s always something to do, both because of our goals and because of the dynamics of the transfer window. There are probably still a few things to take care of, but we’re in the process of tackling them right now.” The English runners-up are showing strong interest in the top Moroccan talent Ayyoub Bouaddi from OSC Lille. The 18-year-old defensive midfielder caused a stir at the World Cup.
Maresca remains tight-lipped about Rodri
Most recently, there have been transfer rumors surrounding the newly crowned World Cup champion Rodri, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. The Italian coach neither wanted to fuel nor deny these speculations: Every coach would love to have the captain of the Spanish national team on his roster.
But for now, the Citizens will have to do without their midfield anchor—not only because of his well-deserved vacation after the World Cup, but also because the 30-year-old is scheduled to undergo surgery next Monday due to back problems. It’s not yet known how long Rodri will be sidelined, but Maresca intends to give him the time he needs: “Rodri will undergo surgery on Monday for a back problem. He needs a break; he has to rest and recover, and then he’ll be back here with us.”
He also took a defensive stance regarding Jack Grealish—who is under contract until 2027—and goalkeeper James Trafford, who has been linked with a move to Leeds United. He said he has a good relationship with both of them.