Story perspectives

Man City Hire Maresca, Spend Record £116 m on Anderson

6/30/2026

Summary

Manchester City Appoints Maresca

Manchester City appointed Enzo Maresca, the 46-year-old former Chelsea manager, as Pep Guardiola’s successor.
Sporting director Hugo Viana secured an eight-figure fee with Chelsea to release Maresca.
City paid a club-record £116 million for Elliot Anderson, who signed until 2031, and will start its tour in Hong Kong and South Korea with an Inter Milan match on August 1 before the Premier League opener against Bournemouth on August 23.

Summary

Maresca Revamps Tactics

Coach Pepijn Maresca has introduced detailed tactical preparation that emphasizes pressing patterns and set-piece organization.
He has shifted full-backs into inverted roles, reducing their purely attacking duties.
Maresca studies each opponent’s style and tailors City’s build-up play to exploit identified weaknesses.
Players report that rapid decision-making, collective defending and new pressing-transition drills have boosted cohesion and contributed to the team’s progress to the Champions League final.

History

Historical Context

After Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in July 2003, he installed José Mourinho in June 2004, where the new manager oversaw more than £70 million in signings that lifted the club to its first league title in 50 years. Manchester City now mirrors that blueprint, appointing Enzo Maresca and spending £116 million on Elliot Anderson while planning a Hong Kong tour.

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Manchester City Appoints Maresca

Manchester City appointed Enzo Maresca, the 46-year-old former Chelsea manager, as Pep Guardiola’s successor.
Sporting director Hugo Viana secured an eight-figure fee with Chelsea to release Maresca.
City paid a club-record £116 million for Elliot Anderson, who signed until 2031, and will start its tour in Hong Kong and South Korea with an Inter Milan match on August 1 before the Premier League opener against Bournemouth on August 23.

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