“The big news is…” Enzo Maresca persuaded Pep Guardiola to try a smart tactic that helped Man City win the treble.
New Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca is being called the mastermind behind one of Pep Guardiola’s most clever tactical changes.
On Monday, City announced Maresca as their new boss with a three-year deal until 2029. He takes over from his mentor Guardiola, who ended his 10-year run at the Etihad Stadium.
Many expected Maresca to be the next City manager, and his eagerness for the job even cut short his time at Chelsea last season. The club received £17 million in compensation after his surprising exit and issued a rare statement criticizing the former Leicester manager without naming him.
Maresca had a strong wish to return to City, where he had two previous spells. He managed the club’s EDS team and won the Premier League 2 title in 2020/21. After coaching in Italy with Parma, he came back to City on Guardiola’s staff for the 2022/23 season, which became the club’s most successful ever.
That year, City made history by winning the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup – matching Manchester United’s legendary 1999 achievement.
Maresca played a key role, and Guardiola praised his “special quality” when Maresca moved on to manage Leicester. It’s even said that Maresca suggested the brilliant tactical switch of moving John Stones into midfield.
During Guardiola’s time, he tried many tactical ideas, but in 2022/23 he often played four strong central defenders. Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Stones formed a tight defense. Instead of moving full-backs to midfield, Guardiola moved center-back Stones to join Rodri in midfield in a 3-2-4-1 formation. Stones then had one of the best performances ever in a Champions League final as City finally won against Inter Milan in Istanbul.
The story goes that Maresca came up with this idea and convinced Guardiola to try it. On the City Social podcast, DAZN’s Adam Monk said, “You could argue Maresca made the most important tactical move of Guardiola’s time. That flat back four with four center-backs and John Stones moving forward won us three trophies. People say if that’s true, it probably helped him land the City job.”
Maresca now faces a huge challenge replacing one of the greatest coaches, who won 20 trophies in English football. But City believe he’s ready and will keep their successful style going.
His first signing is likely Elliott Anderson after City agreed on a £116 million deal and the midfielder passed his medical.
“It’s a big challenge for many reasons,” Maresca said at his unveiling. “After all the success in the last 10 to 15 years, it’s also an exciting challenge. The goal is to keep up the great work from the last years.
“I’m here because the club wants to keep the same football style and ideas. We will focus on what really matters – trying to win and reach important goals. How I work day-to-day will follow from that.”