“I feel quite lucky” – Enzo Maresca on stint at Chelsea as he takes over as Manchester City coach

Former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca considers himself fortunate to have managed at the Blues and Leicester City after succeeding the legendary Pep Guardiola as Manchester City’s next head coach.

Guardiola left at the end of last campaign after a hugely successful 10-season stint at the Etihad. One of the best tacticians ever in the game’s history, the former Barcelona head coach won 20 titles, including six in the Premier League.

The former midfielder also led City to their first continental treble in the 2022-23 season, emulating Manchester United (1998-99) as the only English teams to do so.

Maresca, meanwhile, was at the Stamford Bridge helm for one and a half seasons after succeeding Mauricio Pochettino in the summer of 2024, winning the UEFA Europa Conference League before leaving this January.

On being appointed as the new City boss, Maresca fondly remembered his stints at the Blues and Leicester City, who won the Championship in 2023-24 under the Italian:

“I feel quite lucky in terms of both of my former clubs,” Maresca said (as per GiveMeSport senior correspondent Ben Jacobs).

“At Leicester and Chelsea, we did a great job. The identity was clear. The success was clear. I feel very lucky to have been part of those clubs. But now we are here, and Manchester City is the most important thing. Nothing else to add.”

With the Conference League triumph in 2025, the Blues became the first side to win European club football’s three major club competitions, having won the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League twice each.

Meanwhile, Maresca has agreed a three-year contract with Manchester City as he looks to continue his predecessor’s success.

How did Chelsea and Manchester City fare last season?

Chelsea and Manchester City had contrasting 2025-26 campaigns. While the Blues finished outside the European football places, in 10th, winning only 14 of 38 games, City missed out on the Premier League title to Arsenal.

Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens eventually finished seven points behind the Gunners, who won their first top-flight title in more than two decades. The Spaniard ended his Etihad stint with silverware, though, winning the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.

The Blues, though, endured a trophyless campaign after Enzo Maresca’s departure at the start of the year, failing to build on their early-season promise and will be without European football this campaign, a first since 2023-24.