Replacing a manager who won everything there is to win in English football is, to put it mildly, a tough gig. Enzo Maresca gets his first crack at it on August 23, 2026, when Manchester City welcome Bournemouth to the Etihad Stadium for the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Maresca was appointed head coach on June 29, 2026, signing a three-year contract that runs through 2029. He succeeds Pep Guardiola, whose decade-long reign turned City into the most decorated club in English football’s modern era.
A rocky start in the Community Shield
Maresca’s competitive introduction to life in the City dugout didn’t go according to plan. On August 16, 2026, Arsenal handed his side a 3-0 defeat in the Community Shield.
Maresca has since described the loss as a pivotal learning moment for the club.
