{"id":10601,"date":"2026-05-19T12:38:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=10601"},"modified":"2026-05-19T12:38:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:38:53","slug":"guardiola-is-set-to-be-replaced-by-enzo-maresca-at-man-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=10601","title":{"rendered":"Guardiola is set to be replaced by Enzo Maresca at Man City"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Manchester City appear to be moving quickly towards their post-Pep Guardiola future, with Enzo Maresca now reportedly in line to become the club\u2019s next manager.<br \/><\/strong><br \/>According to Fabrizio Romano, Maresca has reached a verbal agreement with City and is expected to sign an initial three-year deal.<\/p>\n<div aria-labelledby=\"primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-sender primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-message_text primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-alt_text primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-date_time primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-reaction_count primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-reply_count primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-link_count primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-attachment_count primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-has_draft_reply primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-pinned_state primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-edited_state primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-later_state primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-broadcast_state primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-broadcast_thread_root_message primary-DPALHTQM9-1779082922.637049-translated_state\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" id=\"message-list_1779082922.637049\" style=\"clear:left;\">\n<div>\n<div aria-roledescription=\"message\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><b>DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CAUGHTOFFSIDE APP FOR ALL THE LATEST &#038; BREAKING UPDATES \u2013 STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON <\/b><b><u><span draggable=\"true\">APPLE<\/span><\/u><\/b><b>  &#038; <\/b><b><u><span draggable=\"true\">GOOGLE PLAY<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Italian has long been viewed inside the club as the most natural successor to Guardiola because of his previous work within the City system and his clear connection to Pep\u2019s football ideas.<\/p>\n<p>Guardiola\u2019s exit is still not formally announced by Manchester City, but reports from major outlets suggest he is expected to leave at the end of the season after a decade in charge.<\/p>\n<p>Reuters reported that Guardiola is set to depart after City\u2019s final game, while also noting that Maresca is strongly tipped to succeed him.<\/p>\n<h2>Pep Guardiola is stepping down as Man City boss<\/h2>\n<p>This would be one of the biggest managerial changes in Premier League history.<\/p>\n<p>Guardiola has not just won trophies at Manchester City, he has completely reshaped the club\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n<p>His team became the standard for control, dominance, pressing and tactical detail in English football.<\/p>\n<p>Leaving after 10 years would close one of the most successful chapters the league has ever seen.<\/p>\n<p>The numbers speak for themselves. Guardiola has won 20 trophies at City, including six Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cups and League Cups.<\/p>\n<p>The Guardian reported that City are preparing for the possibility of his departure, with Maresca expected to take over if the change is confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>Maresca makes sense because he is not an outsider walking into a completely unfamiliar environment.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-stories std-mgn-b\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<header class=\"col-s-12 std-mgn-t\">More Stories \/ <span class=\"topic\">Latest News<\/span><\/header>\n<div class=\"post-container col-s-4\">\n<p>\t\t\t&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"img-cntr\"><picture><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1495\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-11-1.jpg\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-1656073 lazyload\" alt=\"Chelsea logo on corner flag and breaking news banner\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-11-1-190x114.jpg 190w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-11-1-245x147.jpg 245w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-11-1-320x193.jpg 320w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-11-1-414x249.jpg 414w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-11-1-630x379.jpg 630w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1230px) 237px, (min-width:1020px) 190px, (min-width:900px) 280px, (min-width:680px) 30vw, (min-width:414px) 125px, 30vw\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-container col-s-4\">\n<p>\t\t\t&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"img-cntr\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-190x114.jpg.webp 190w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-245x147.jpg.webp 245w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-320x193.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-414x249.jpg.webp 414w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-630x379.jpg.webp 630w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1230px) 237px, (min-width:1020px) 190px, (min-width:900px) 280px, (min-width:680px) 30vw, (min-width:414px) 125px, 30vw\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1495\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102.jpg\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-1659375 has-webp lazyload\" alt=\"Jose Mourinho Real Madrid Man United\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-190x114.jpg 190w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-245x147.jpg 245w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-320x193.jpg 320w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-414x249.jpg 414w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-102-630x379.jpg 630w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1230px) 237px, (min-width:1020px) 190px, (min-width:900px) 280px, (min-width:680px) 30vw, (min-width:414px) 125px, 30vw\"\/><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-container col-s-4\">\n<p>\t\t\t&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"img-cntr\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-190x114.jpg.webp 190w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-245x147.jpg.webp 245w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-320x193.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-414x249.jpg.webp 414w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-630x379.jpg.webp 630w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1230px) 237px, (min-width:1020px) 190px, (min-width:900px) 280px, (min-width:680px) 30vw, (min-width:414px) 125px, 30vw\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1495\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3.jpg\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-1659117 has-webp lazyload\" alt=\"Xabi Alonso Chelsea breaking news\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-190x114.jpg 190w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-245x147.jpg 245w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-320x193.jpg 320w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-414x249.jpg 414w,https:\/\/icdn.caughtoffside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/COS-FeaturedHero-Image-Templates-1-3-630x379.jpg 630w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width:1230px) 237px, (min-width:1020px) 190px, (min-width:900px) 280px, (min-width:680px) 30vw, (min-width:414px) 125px, 30vw\"\/><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Maresca has history with the Premier League side<\/h2>\n<p>He previously worked at Man City, managed the club\u2019s Elite Development Squad, and learned closely from the Guardiola model.<\/p>\n<p>That matters because City do not need a manager who will rip everything up. They need someone who can protect the footballing structure while adding fresh energy.<\/p>\n<p>He also has senior managerial experience. Maresca won promotion with Leicester City and later managed Chelsea, where he dealt with the pressure of a major Premier League club.<\/p>\n<p>His spell at Chelsea had ups and downs, but it gave him valuable experience of managing stars, handling media pressure and working in a demanding environment.<\/p>\n<p>The reported three-year deal is also interesting. It gives Maresca enough time to build something, but not so long that City are trapped if the transition becomes difficult.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Man City have smart transfer plan for rumoured Arsenal &#038; Man United target <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End -->\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Manchester City appear to be moving quickly towards their post-Pep Guardiola future, with Enzo Maresca&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chelsea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}