Why have Man City still not announced the appointment of Enzo Maresca?

4 Jun 2026 16:04 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

It has been almost two weeks since Pep Guardiola announced that he is stepping down as Manchester City manager, but his replacement, former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, has still not been officially appointed.

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The Cityzens are set to undergo a monumental transformation this summer following the end of the Guardiola era. After a trophy-laden decade at the club, the Spaniard has decided to bring down the curtain on his time as a manager in England.

Guardiola will remain attached to City Football Group in an advisory role, but he is likely to take a prolonged break from coaching. It has been posited that he could be tempted to become Italy's next head coach, but Antonio Conte looks poised to take charge of the Azzurri.

The 55-year-old's replacement is already widely known: former Chelsea head coach Maresca has been lined up to return to City, having previously served as an academy coach and as an assistant to Guardiola.

Discussions with the Italian to potentially succeed Guardiola already began in late 2025, when he was still employed by Chelsea. It is believed that all the paperwork is in place for Maresca to be appointed. And yet, an announcement has still not been made.

Why have City not yet appointed Maresca?

The reason for this is essentially Chelsea. Although Maresca was at risk of the sack following a downturn in results and a worsening of the mood around the club, he wasn't actually dismissed by the Blues.

He walked away from the head coaching position of his own volition. This, in turn, meant that his contract was never officially terminated. He technically remains on the books at Chelsea.

Consequently, the Stamford Bridge outfit believe that they are entitled to a compensation fee for Maresca. They are not willing to let the Italian join a direct rival for free, especially given the circumstances - Chelsea were unhappy that their then-coach engaged with Man City in 2025.

Maresca had three-and-a-half years left on his deal when he quit, so Man City need to agree a settlement with Chelsea before they can unveil the 46-year-old as their new head coach.

Legal representatives of the two clubs remain in dialogue over the amount of this compensation fee, according to Sky Sports, but Man City are hopeful that a breakthrough can be reached before the week is out.

There is currently no suggestion that their appointment of Maresca is in any danger of falling through. It is simply a matter of time.

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