Why Man City Might Pay Chelsea to Bring in Enzo Maresca After Pep Guardiola
Manchester City are set to pay Chelsea a fee after agreeing a three-year deal with Enzo Maresca, who will replace Pep Guardiola as head coach.
There’s been a lot of uncertainty about Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium, but on Monday night it was widely reported that he will be leaving after ten years in charge.
Guardiola has decided to end his incredible run with City, stepping down after the final home game of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday. Although he still had one year left on his contract, he has reportedly told his players about his decision following Tuesday’s game at Bournemouth.
For some time, Maresca—a former coach and assistant at City—has been the club’s top choice to take over if Guardiola left.
Maresca left Chelsea in January after winning the Club World Cup and Conference League, even though he had more than three years left on his contract there. Since then, Chelsea have appointed Liam Rosenior and Xabi Alonso, but according to The Guardian, Maresca’s contract situation still needs sorting out.
Sources close to Maresca say Chelsea are entitled to compensation from City because they still hold certain rights. He didn’t take severance pay when he left Chelsea, so City will likely have to pay a significant amount—though the exact number hasn’t been shared.
BBC’s Nizaar Kinsella added that Chelsea believe they are owed compensation since Maresca left the club in January.
Maresca has agreed to a three-year contract at City, where he has worked in various roles during two different periods.
Another report from Sam Wallace at The Telegraph mentioned that Chelsea might launch a legal complaint over City signing Maresca and how it affected his last days with the club. It’s been said that Maresca had talks with City while he was still Chelsea’s boss and informed Chelsea’s owners about it.
His final game as Chelsea manager was a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. He skipped the post-match media and left suddenly after his position became difficult.
The report says Chelsea expect to seek compensation from City. To do this, they would need to make a complaint to the Premier League, who would then investigate the matter.