Man City bolster coaching staff by securing Enzo Maresca to serve as Pep Guardiola’s No 2 after convincing him to turn down managerial jobs to become the assistant at Premier League champions
- Enzo Maresca is set to become Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City
- The club had to work hard to secure the highly-rated Italian’s services
- Maresca replaces Juanma Lillo who has taken over as head coach at Al Sadd
Manchester City have secured Enzo Maresca to become Pep Guardiola’s new assistant coach.
A deal has now been agreed for the 42-year old to return to City where he was in charge of the club’s development squad in 2020.
The Premier League champions had to work hard to convince Maresca though as he had a number of management offers from across Europe.
Enzo Maresca is set to become Pep Guardiola’s assistant coach at Manchester City
Guardiola will work closely with Maresca as City look to defend their Premier League title
Maresca, who guided City’s development squad to the Premier League 2 title, has forged a reputation within the industry as one of the best young coaches in Europe.
He left City to manage Parma and, though he lost his job last November, he has continued to be in demand.
The former West Brom, Juventus and Sevilla midfielder is a hands on coach and will spend plenty of his time on the training pitches with City’s players, fulfilling the role that Mikel Arteta used to hold alongside Guardiola before he left for Arsenal.
Maresca, who also worked as assistant to Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham, replaces Juanma Lillo who has taken over as head coach with Qatar Stars League side Al Sadd.
Lillo had served in the role since June 2020 after succeeding Mikel Arteta, who left the Etihad to take up the managerial hotseat at Arsenal.
Maresca will have the chance to work with a hugely-talented City squad at the Etihad