Maresca signs three-year Manchester City deal after Chelsea compensation settlement
Manchester City made Pep Guardiola’s successor a former insider, after Chelsea secured compensation and Maresca agreed to help pay it.
Manchester City confirmed Enzo Maresca as Pep Guardiola’s successor on a three-year contract running through 2029, closing the move only after a compensation settlement with Chelsea. The deal brings a coach back to the same football ecosystem that shaped part of his career and gives City continuity with a manager who already knows the demands of the Etihad Stadium.
Maresca told Chelsea of his interest in the City job in October 2025, then resigned on 1 January 2026 with 3½ years left on his contract. Chelsea called the 2025/26 season hugely disappointing and blamed much of the decline on the disruption created by changes to the head coach position over the Christmas period. Chelsea also publicly criticised the manner of Maresca’s exit, while Maresca apologised for the disruption and said the choice to leave was his own.
The compensation package was about £17 million, or around €20 million, and Maresca also contributed an undisclosed amount to complete the settlement. Manchester City and Chelsea reached a mutually settled agreement once terms had been reached with the coach.
Maresca previously worked under Guardiola at Manchester City, including as assistant during the treble-winning 2022/23 season, and he led the Elite Development Squad to the Premier League 2 title in 2020/21. Maresca arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2024 after guiding Leicester City back to the Premier League in 2023/24, then left midway through the following season.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
