Maresca: 'A privilege' to replace Guardiola, praises Donnarumma-Haaland combination

Enzo Maresca says replacing Pep Guardiola in the Manchester City dugout is a ‘privilege’ and views the promising link-up between Gianluigi Donnarumma and Erling Haaland as one of the ways his side can pose a threat to rivals in the upcoming campaign.

Italian tactician Maresca was appointed as Manchester City’s new head coach today.

He replaces Guardiola after the Spaniard spent ten years at the club. In an ironic twist for Italy, Maresca’s unveiling press conference took place on the same day Guardiola rejected the offer to become the new Azzurri coach.

“Before we start, I would like to send a message, a big hug to Kevin Keegan’s family, for this moment. And yeah, I feel like I’m back home. I feel very good. The feeling since day one has been brilliant, so happy,” Maresca said via Manchester Evening News.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 24: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, reacts as he speaks to the media during a Chelsea Press Conference at Stamford Bridge on November 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) Maresca already served as Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City in 2022-23 when the Premier League giants won the Champions League for the first time in their history, beating Serie A giants Inter in the final.

Questioned on how it feels to replace Guardiola, Maresca said: “First of all, I would say that it’s a privilege. The reason why the club decided to go for me is that, for me, it’s a privilege. I said many times, I consider Pep to probably be the best coach in the world in the last 20, 25 years,” Maresca said.

“But again, it’s a challenge. It’s nice. It’s a privilege. Also, the history of the manager with many years in the same club [leaves], there have been struggles with Sir Alex [Ferguson], Arsene [Wenger]. But also, it’s a challenge to try to do the right things immediately for this organisation, for the fans, for everyone.”

Maresca already coached Leicester City and Chelsea in England, achieving considerable success with both teams.

During his time at Leicester City, he was promoted to the Premier League in the 2023-24 season. While at Chelsea, he won the Conference League and the Club World Cup in just 18 months in charge.

“I think it was a clear identity [with] the former clubs. I joined Leicester and then Chelsea. Probably the reason why the club decided on me is that they can see some similar concepts with the previous manager,” Maresca said.

“And we always try to be aggressive off the ball, control the game, try to be the ones that win, push our idea, and try to do the most important thing in football, which is to win games in the end.”

Maresca was also asked about a strategy Guardiola attempted last season: bypassing the midfield by sending Donnarumma’s long balls straight towards Haaland.

BERGAMO, ITALY – MARCH 26: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy celebrates his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Italy and Northern Ireland at Stadio di Bergamo on March 26, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) “Yeah, that can be a solution for sure. Sometimes you have to work short, sometimes you have to go long. It depends also on what the opponents do,” Maresca said.

“You have to adapt, and I think it’s nice with Gigi and with Erling as a No.9. It is also nice because not all of the teams and clubs have these kinds of players that are good in combination. But that cannot be the only solution. We have to find more solutions.”