Ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has refused to rule out becoming Man City manager.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano has reiterated that the Italian is the “only candidate” in the running to succeed Pep Guardiola if the Catalan decides to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season. Asked specifically about the Man City rumours by Sky Sport Italia (quotes translated by Football Italia), Maresca did not address the speculation head-on, but he did hint that things could develop over the summer:
“What matters, regardless of the club, is being ready. There are only a few weeks left until the end of the season, then we’ll see what happens.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Maresca was asked if he was looking to return to management soon, and he made his intentions clear:
“I feel ready for the next chapter; that is the most important thing.”
Why is Maresca seen as the “only candidate” for the job?
Guardiola himself has tipped Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany to manage City one day, and it is surprising that the Belgian, and other names such as Xabi Alonso, are seemingly not under consideration.
In Kompany’s case, there are suggestions that he is currently not looking to leave Bayern, having guided them to consecutive Bundesliga titles.
Even so, the fact that Maresca is the red-hot favourite to be Guardiola’s successor is somewhat surprising. He has been on City’s coaching staff before, and his spell as Chelsea head coach resulted in him winning the Conference League and Club World Cup, but his track record in the Premier League is not as impressive. His win percentage in the league with the Blues was only 49% – respectable but not a patch on Guardiola’s 71%.
Will Guardiola leave Man City this summer?
There have been stories from respected sources since the end of last year that the 55-year-old is ready to call time on his tenure in Manchester.
However, Guardiola himself muddied the waters slightly when he mentioned last week that he is planning for “next season”.
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