Manchester City have formally announced Enzo Maresca as their new manager on a three-year deal, ending the delay over his move from Chelsea and placing him back at the club where he once worked in two different roles. The appointment makes him Pep Guardiola's successor and opens a third spell at Manchester City.
The news lands now because the hold-up was not about the job itself but the dispute around how Maresca left Chelsea. Chelsea said they have received compensation from Manchester City and from Maresca, after a confidential settlement was reached with both parties. That closes the paperwork, but not the friction that surrounded his exit.
Maresca had joined Chelsea in 2024 on a five-year deal and spent 18 months in charge, winning the Conference League and the Club World Cup before leaving Stamford Bridge on Jan. 1, 2026. Liam Rosenior took over, yet Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League and missed out on European qualification before sacking Rosenior in April. For City, the appointment restores a familiar figure to the building: Maresca previously coached the Elite Development Squad and later worked as Guardiola's first-team assistant between 2022 and 2023.
The split between the clubs was never a clean one. Chelsea said Maresca had no right to terminate his long-term contract and described his resignation in December 2025 as unexpected and abrupt. Maresca told a different version, saying that at the end of December 2025 he made the difficult decision to leave, that the decision was only his, and that his resignation opened the path for him to join Manchester City. He also said he was ecstatic to be back and apologised for the disruption his departure caused Chelsea in the middle of the season.
What remains unanswered is the part both sides have chosen not to spell out: the size of the compensation package. Chelsea called the settlement confidential, which means the market gets the headline and not the price. What it does know is that Manchester City have their manager, Chelsea have their settlement, and Maresca has returned to a club he already knows well.
