Manchester City Appoint Enzo Maresca, Pay Chelsea £17m Compensation for Mid-Season Departure

Manchester City confirmed Enzo Maresca as their manager on a three-year contract, replacing Pep Guardiola after the Spaniard’s decade at the Etihad ended at the end of the 2025-26 season.

“Manchester City have appointed Enzo Maresca as manager to replace departing coach Pep Guardiola next season, the Premier League club announced on Monday”

Al Jazeera

City also paid Chelsea £17m in compensation for Maresca’s former role, and the Italian agreed a personal settlement with the west London club.

Al Jazeera

Maresca, who returns for a third spell at City, said: "I recognise that my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise for that."

The appointment sets up Maresca’s first take charge on Saturday 1 August against Inter in South Korea, with his first major game in the City dugout the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday 16 August against Arsenal.

In the build-up to his start, Guardiola’s record at City included six Premier League titles and the Champions League as part of the 2022-23 treble, and City’s new manager inherits a squad that has gone two seasons without a Premier League title.

Chelsea’s statement framed Maresca’s mid-season resignation as a major factor in its poor campaign, saying his resignation at the turn of the year "was a major contributing factor" to their poor campaign.

Maresca responded by apologising for the disruption, while also saying it was "neither my intention nor my wish."

BBC

The BBC reported that Guardiola’s successor was being set against a backdrop of a club that had already been in negotiations over recompense, and that Chelsea said Maresca notified them of the potential opportunity to replace Guardiola at the end of the 2024-25 season.

In parallel, Sky Sports said Maresca departed Chelsea on New Year's Day by mutual consent and had three and a half years left on his contract, while also noting City will pay Chelsea more than £17m (€20m) in compensation as part of the deal.

ESPN added that Chelsea said they have received compensation from both City and Maresca himself, and it quoted Chelsea’s account that a confidential settlement had been reached with Manchester City "which includes the payment of compensation."

City’s appointment places Maresca at the start of a pre-season tour in South Korea, with his first match in charge scheduled for Saturday 1 August against Inter.

His first major game in the City dugout is set for the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday 16 August against Arsenal, before the league season begins at home to Bournemouth the following weekend.

The Guardian said City have gone two seasons without a Premier League title and have just lost Bernardo Silva and John Stones, while also pointing to Elliot Anderson’s £116m move from Nottingham Forest as to be confirmed.

The stakes for Maresca also include the club’s broader transition after Guardiola, whose 10-year spell saw the club win 20 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League as part of the 2022-23 treble.

Meanwhile, the settlement process that enabled the appointment remained central to the story, with ESPN describing Chelsea’s claim that Maresca will personally pay compensation as part of a settlement that allows him to take over at the Etihad Stadium.