Ornstein latest: Guardiola leaving, is Maresca the answer?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Ornstein latest: Guardiola leaving, is Maresca the answer?"

The Athletic FC Podcast
Host: Ayo Akinwolere
Guests: David Ornstein, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Sam Lee, Liam Toomey
Date: May 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode covers the seismic news of Pep Guardiola’s impending departure from Manchester City after ten trophy-laden years, exploring the impact on English and world football, the challenges of his succession, and the rise of Enzo Maresca as the favored replacement. The discussion, led by Ayo Akinwolere, features insights from The Athletic’s top correspondents, delving into Guardiola’s legacy, the Premier League’s transformation under his influence, the open question of City’s future, and an early assessment of Maresca’s likely tenure.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pep Guardiola’s Departure: Timing and Impact

• Magnitude of the News
  • David Ornstein describes Guardiola’s exit as “a seismic moment for English football and world football.” (02:27)
  • It had been on the cards for some time, with Ornstein reporting on his possible departure as early as December.
    • “We were the first to report that Enzo Maresca was high among the candidates to succeed Pep Guardiola if a change was made at City.” (03:47)
• Handling of the Announcement
  • Jack Pitt-Brooke is surprised City and Guardiola hadn’t officially broken the news themselves, referencing Klopp’s proactive exit at Liverpool.
    • “I’m a bit surprised neither Guardiola nor Manchester City have got out ahead of this news.” (06:02)
• Immediate Impact on Squad and Fans
  • Discussions about whether the announcement will galvanize the team for the season’s end, with fixtures vs Bournemouth and Aston Villa potentially Guardiola’s last (07:09–09:52).

2. Guardiola’s Era: Achievements, Influence, and Legacy

• Record and Transformation
  • Sam Lee outlines the sheer scale of Guardiola’s impact:
    • “There’s nobody like Pep Guardiola, is there?...the standards that he set at City, the relentlessness, the intensity over 10 years…” (09:58)
  • City went from sporadic winners to a dominant powerhouse with a clear philosophy and world-class identity.
  • Jack Pitt-Brooke credits Guardiola not just for the trophies but for transforming City into “a dominant team…with a clear playing identity.” (12:26)
• Statistical Legacy (trophies recap at 16:50):
  • Six Premier League titles in 10 years
  • Five League Cups
  • Three FA Cups
  • One Champions League
  • Two trebles (domestic and European)

3. Guardiola’s Stamp on English Football

• Raising Standards
  • Jack Pitt-Brooke notes Guardiola “raised the bar” for everyone, establishing a new normal for what it takes to win a league (17:18).
• Changing Playing Style and Culture
  • Ornstein: Guardiola’s style “permeated into all echelons from top to bottom,” influencing academies, national teams, and even grassroots football (19:12).
    • “It’s been probably the biggest step change within English football...stylistically and I mean that’s more than you could have ever imagined.” (19:49)
• The Guardiola–Klopp Rivalry
  • Both Pitt-Brooke and Ayo highlight the golden age of the Premier League catalyzed by Guardiola and Klopp pushing each other, reminiscent of the old Ferguson–Wenger battles (22:29–23:49).

4. The "Dark Cloud": Unresolved City Charges

• Legacy and Controversy
  • Jack Pitt-Brooke raises the unresolved 115 charges against Manchester City and how they may impact any lasting assessment of Guardiola’s reign (24:02), noting the club’s denial of wrongdoing:
    • “It’s impossible to fully evaluate Guardiola’s work...independent of Manchester City’s ownership, the money they’ve spent and also the 115 charges...” (24:02)

5. Enzo Maresca: Continuity, Risk, and Readiness

• Coaching Pedigree and Fit
  • Liam Toomey emphasizes Maresca’s “measure of continuity” as both ex-City assistant (during the treble) and leader of City’s development squad (25:08).
  • Tactically from “the Guardiola school,” with positional play and meticulous preparation (25:08–26:28).
• Personality and Potential Issues
  • Maresca is "very confident" with a strong personality, but questions linger about his abrupt Chelsea exit and possible lack of connection with fans:
    • “He did leave Chelsea in the middle of a season after informing them he had been talking to City about succeeding Guardiola...” (26:52)
• City’s Succession Planning
  • Ornstein suggests Maresca may not be objectively the “best” candidate, but “the most suitable for them and their model and their people and their systems” (30:58–33:50).
  • City’s approach is forward-looking; appointment also a test for new Sporting Director Hugo Viana.

6. Challenges of Succeeding a Legend

• Fan Expectations and Transition Risks
  • Pitt-Brooke and Ornstein reflect on the challenge of maintaining City’s unprecedented trophy haul amid an inevitable period of adjustment (35:12).
    • Jack: “It’s very plausible that they have a downturn…It’s very, very tough to follow a legendary manager.” (35:12)
• Communication & Culture
  • Concerns that Maresca may not match Guardiola’s media presence and bond with the fanbase.

7. What Next for Guardiola?

• Speculation about the Future
  • Ornstein notes wild industry speculation: retirement, sabbatical, Inter Miami, golf! (36:26)
  • More seriously, the allure of international football remains, and Guardiola has previously expressed his desire to coach at a World Cup:
    • Pitt-Brooke: “He’s such a hands-on coach...I wonder whether his style would translate to international football...but I’m sure there will be federations...desperately trying to put together an attractive package...” (39:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pep’s Impact:
  "There’s nobody like Pep Guardiola, is there? Whether you love him or hate him, the football that he plays...the standards that he set at City, the relentlessness, the intensity over 10 years...”
  — Sam Lee (09:58)

• On Changing English Football:
  “By proving that his style of play can work in this country, that is another way he’s changed football...the centre backs split, the keeper rolls out to them...that is very clearly the influence of Guardiola on English football.”
  — Jack Pitt-Brooke (18:38)

• On the Difficulty of Replacing Pep:
  “City have won 20 trophies overall...if they were to do that in the next five years, maybe would be good because of the difficulty of replacing Pep. But then in the moment does that feel like the same standard the Guardiola set?”
  — Sam Lee (09:58)

• On the Guardiola–Klopp Rivalry:
  “That Liverpool team was so good, they were so powerful...it was a really, really great rivalry. And I think you could argue it was a bit of a golden age for the Premier League.”
  — Jack Pitt-Brooke (23:49)

• On Maresca as Successor:
  “It’s not so much like who’s best, it’s who’s more suitable for them and their model and their people and their systems. It’s an incredibly unique place, City.”
  — David Ornstein (30:58)

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Important Timestamps

• Guardiola’s Departure & Significance: 02:27–05:41
• Announcement Handling & Reaction: 06:02–07:47
• Immediate Effects on Title Race: 07:09–09:52
• Sam Lee on Guardiola’s Legacy: 09:58–11:55
• Discussion of Achievements/Identity: 12:26–13:34, 16:50–18:53
• Influence on English Football: 17:18–22:29
• Guardiola–Klopp Rivalry: 22:29–23:49
• 115 Charges Question: 24:02
• Maresca’s Credentials & Risks: 25:08–28:52
• Why Maresca? City's Logic: 30:58–34:41
• Challenges of Following a Legend: 35:12–36:17
• Pep’s Future Plans & International Coaching: 36:26–40:26

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Final Thoughts

The episode paints Guardiola’s exit as football’s equivalent of a tectonic shift—impacting Manchester City, the Premier League, and coaching culture in England more broadly. The shadow of his influence will linger, and City’s next chapter with Enzo Maresca is a fascinating football experiment that carries both promise and risk.

The Athletic FC Podcast continues its hallmark of nuanced, well-sourced reporting, with behind-the-scenes insights and expert opinion, giving listeners a vivid sense of football history in the making.

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Transcript

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[Ayo Akimolere]

The Athletic FC welcome to the Athletic FC podcast with me, Ayo Akimolere. Big news. Pep Guardiola is set to leave Manchester City this summer and with former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, the man expected to replace him, how on earth do follow Pep? All right, in for us for this one we've got our football correspondent David Ornstein. We've also got Jack Pitt Brook as well. So after 10 trophy laden years, Pep Guardiola is set to stand down at the end of the season. David, you first reported he was considering stepping away back in December. How big is this news from your perspective?

[David Ornstein]

It's massive because of Pep Guardiola's stature standing in the game, achievements, the size of the club that he's working at. Not for much longer in Manchester City and you know, they've been history Makers. There's also been a lot of controversy that's unresolved and that's kind of added to the magnitude of all of this. I think it was well trailed further back to when we reported the possibility towards the end of 2025, because when Pep Guardiola ultimately ended up signing his most recent contract, there was a very good chance he was going to go then. And I think England, the FA who were pursuing him aggressively, thought they had him at one point. But something changed. We've been at this precipice a few times where he's, you know, said to be on the verge of going and then changes his mind. But this one was different. When he signed that two year contract, it came as a surprise to many even high up inside City, who always were of the understanding that it was going to be a one year deal. And then at the last moment it was presented to the shock of many as two years. And there was a feeling that perhaps that was just to maybe avoid some of the noise that we saw with say, Jurgen Klopp, for example, when he announced he'd be leaving Liverpool at the end of that season. It hasn't had the desired effect because it's been spoken about so much, but I understand the theory and it gave the possibility for Pep Guardiola continuing. But I think for a long time now his intention, even if it wasn't officially communicated to City, was to leave at the end of the season, barring changes of mind and late conversations. And City have definitely been working for a considerable period on contingency plans for the event of that happening. And we were the first to report that Enzo Maresca was high among the candidates to succeed Pep Guardiola if a change was made at City. We then broke news after Maresca's departure that he had informed Chelsea on multiple occasions of contact from individuals on behalf of Manchester City regarding any potential vacancy in the coaching department as and when and if Pep Guardiola left. He told Chelsea, I think in late October and mid December, according to our reporting at the time. And of course he left Chelsea on the eve of them playing Manchester City in their next game. So I think there is a lot more to this that we can unpick. But ultimately, you know, people saying the worst kept secret in football, there was a lot of expectation, there was a lot of rumor, a lot of reporting, a lot of signs, a lot of people inside an outside City knew this was coming. It was just a matter of timing, confirmation. But to answer your question, it's a seismic moment for English football and world football. Manchester City, Guardiola himself. And not only are we going to, of course reflect on one of the most astonishing periods for so many reasons, but also the unknown of what's next to come in the following chapters.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Yeah, we'll talk about Maresca a little later on, Jack, but yeah, David's right. This is a big moment for English football. It's a big moment for a Premier League football. Are you surprised by his announcements? Because, you know, there have been various interviews of recent and he's tried his best to dodge it, but the reality is I feel like this is the worst kept secret, really.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

I suppose I'm a bit surprised that neither Guardiola nor Manchester City have got out ahead of this news. Basically. I know that, you know, a lot of the time clubs and managers are keen to do that. Right. So that people hear it from them first. You know, when I think I'm right in saying that when Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool, he like Klopp himself, broke the news. I think like Klopp did a, you know, he put out a video statement on through Liverpool to announce that he would be leaving at the end of the season. And that was like halfway, I think through, through the season when he left. So I think that element of it is a bit surprising. I think that it's clearly the end of an era. Guardiola's been there for 10 years now and even before he joined there was a sense for a long time like who's going to get pep? Are City going to get pep? So really I almost feel like Guardiola's dominated not just the last 10, but maybe the last sort of 12, 13, 14 years of the Premier League. And when next season starts, he won't be there.

[Liam Toomey]

So.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

So it will be very different and it clearly is a huge seismic event for the Premier League.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Yeah, City have got what Bournemouth and Aston Villa left in the Premier League. Jack, do you think this will make any impact? What a sign off this would be if City were able to pick up yet again another Premier League trophy?

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

It would, it would be a great, a great climax for City if they were able to win what, Guardiola's seventh? I think it would be seventh Premier League title, but it's not in their hands. So you know, they could play brilliantly in their last two games. But ultimately if Arsenal win at palace, then that's that. So in that sense, I don't think it probably won't deliver that kind of great cinematic outcome of Guardiola clinching Yet another Premier League title right at the very end because they've ultimately left themselves too much to do.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Yeah, okay. David, do you think it'd have any impact?

[David Ornstein]

Oh, well, people listening to this might be doing so on Wednesday after the outcome of the Bournemouth Man City game. So it could have developed by then. I think there'll be of shock inside the City dressing room at the. The timing. Perhaps City wanted this to come out at the end of the season on Sunday or start of next week and. And they've been denied that opportunity by the reports emerging. Some players might have felt, because there were whispers around City in recent weeks that he could be having a change of heart and may have be staying on after all. There'll be some who knew this was coming. What I think it will probably do on the eve of such a critical fixture is galvanize City's players ahead of what's an incredibly tough game at Bournemouth. They will have wanted to win this ferociously anyway, but knowing with certainty that Pep Guardiola is on his way, leave no stone unturned, nothing on that. On that pitch. It will be blood and thunder and maybe sort of added motivation, but, you know, as for Sunday, if it goes down to it, I think that's a straightforward victory for City. No disrespect to Aston Villa, but coming off the back of the Europa League final, City at home with a chance to win the Premier League title. And now the farewell to Pep Guardiola. I see that as a home banker, but, yeah, these last days will maybe have added emotion. It's impossible to say how it affects it, but as Jack points out, the title race is in Arsenal's hands now and. And City have probably come around to. They would have had to come around to that acceptance. And they've still had a successful season with. With two trophies to complete what some are describing as 20, others as 15. But the only certainty is it's been an absolutely glittering era. And not to mention their women's and youth victories as well in the last couple of weeks, which will be toasted too.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Well, let's hear from our Manchester City correspondent, Sam Lee on the void Guardiola will leave behind.

[Sam Lee]

There's nobody like Pep Guardiola, is there? I think you'll have to agree with that. Whether you love him or hate him, the football that he plays and still trying to play in this increasingly stodgy, attritional Premier League, they're still trying to play the trophies that he wins in that style, the standards that he set at City the relentlessness, the intensity over 10 years, the way that he's a spokesman for the club, the way that he's a spokesman for global issues at times. There's nobody that blends all those things together for so long and been so successful wherever they've gone. And look, City have got to try to replicate that. Now. City have won 20 trophies overall, including the Community Shield during his 10 years before he arrived. They won five trophies in six years and that was glory days for City. But maybe if they were to do that in the next five years, it would maybe be good because of the difficulty of replacing Pep. But then in the moment, does that feel like the same standard the Guardiola set? So that's going to be difficult. I also think there's the question of Guardiola being such a personality that that might have to be replicated as well. Obviously the extreme example is Ferguson at Manchester United and how much they've dropped off. It's not exactly comparable, but in terms of what Ferguson meant, he cast a long shadow over that club and, you know, probably still does. And we've seen with Jurgen Klopp, it is possible after Klopp left to win Arnold Slot, won the title last season, but we've seen the criticism he's come in for this season. He's grown pretty unpopular and, you know, the players are kind of rebelling, it seems. And is that because he's just not Klopp? He's just not that personality. So it goes to show you can win the Premier League and if City were to win the Premier League next season, that would be a huge return. But if the Liverpool example is anything to go by, you look at it and you think, is that Klopp's legacy? Like, they've got this amazing team, but they just want him, they want that man. And will City fans just want Pep? Will they miss Pep? We will see. It's going to be very difficult to replace him. City are obviously confident that they can. But let's see how the next few days go. Guardiola deserves, after everything he's achieved, a big proper send off. And I'm sure it's going to be emotional.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Yes, I make some good points about Pep's legacy, Jack. I was watching a clip about 10 years ago of a young fan, he's grown up now called Brayden Bent. Manchester City fan. He's in a cab with Pep Guardiola and he's like, it's Pep Guardiola. Now you're with us, we got to win everything. Where are we going to put all the trophies? And Pep sheepishly was like, well, hopefully we can do it. I mean, he's more than just a manager. Sam talks about 20 trophies, the gravitas he brought to the club, but the levels in which City have been operating over the last few seasons has been astronomical.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Yeah, it's been a huge, it's been a hugely successful era for City and Guardiola together. Like remember, City had only won the Premier League title twice before Guardiola got there, once under Roberto Mancini, once under Manuel Pellegrini. They obviously had huge amounts of investment and some very good players, but what they didn't really have was consistency at the top. They didn't really have a kind of, I don't think they had so much of a clear playing identity. They didn't have any success in Europe. They'd never won the Champions League before Guardiola got there. And Guardiola really established City, I think, not just as a rich team who sometimes, who could sometimes win things, but rather as a dominant team who would repeatedly win things and also a dominant team with a very, very clear playing identity, which City have had, well for the last 10 years, really, obviously with a few tweaks along the way. So he has, in that sense, I think he has given Manchester City everything that they wanted, perhaps. I suppose you could say they might have wanted a few more Champions Leagues, given he was there for 10 years. But he has in the main, given them everything they wanted when they spent so much money to get him there in the first place.

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[Ayo Akimolere]

Yeah, let's delve into some of those trophies, Jack. Six Premier League titles in 10 years, five League Cups, three FA Cups, a Champions League. Perhaps they would have wanted more. A domestic treble in 2019 and another treble in 2019. 23 We've talked about Pep Guardiola as an influence at Manchester City. Can we just talk about his influence on English football? Because he's made this feel like a normality. But it's incredibly difficult to achieve such heights, isn't it?

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Yeah, it is difficult. I think the I think his influence is basically two. I mean, I guess there's two simple things I point to. One, one is just raising the bar, you know, getting that 100 point season, repeatedly getting points, tallies. Well into the 90s, he established a standard of what it takes to win a league in this country, which I think made it harder for everyone else. And actually, I think that just goes to show how brilliant Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool were. For example, obviously they won the 1920 title and then they had both in 1819 and 2122. They had brilliant, brilliant seasons that were just agonizingly close to Manchester City and they weren't quite able to win it. But I think Guardiola and Klopp between them did really raise the bar. The second point I would make is regards to how Pep did it. It feels like a long time ago now, but when Pep arrived, people would doubt that it was possible to win the Premier League with possession football, with playing out from the back, with defending high up the pitch, with having a midfield with players like Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva in there. And I mean, now it's just obvious, right? I think everybody accepts that you can dominate possession and win in England, but it wasn't actually that obvious at the time. It wasn't that obvious in certainly in Pep's first season, 1617, where he was criticized a lot for how he tried to play. So I think by proving that his style of play can work in this country, that is another way he's changed football. And I mean, everybody knows this, but you can just see how many other teams, you know, the center back split, the keeper rolls out to them, they try and build out through the back. Like that is very clearly the influence of Guardiola on English football.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Yeah. Do you know what, David? Jack makes a really good point. We look at other teams in other leagues, but I've even seen it way down in the amateur leagues as well. Like how kids are being taught to play out from the back in a Pep Guardiola style. That level of impact on English football across all the pyramids cannot be denied.

[David Ornstein]

Ah, it's permeated into all echelons from top to bottom. And I remember people talking really early on. You may even say that it was coming to England, the fa, the influence when he was at Bayern Munich and Barcelona, because we were being exposed to that, especially, you know, his teams went up against English counterparts in European competition. And we're witnessing a changing of the guard from tik attacker all the way to his sort of more refined and varied approaches and coaches, sporting directors, I speak to students of the game, executives were all taking bits from him and trying to implement it in their own way to adapt. And then he actually came here. I remember going out and doing a piece about him at his hometown of San Pedro, visiting his family home, interviewing his father, Valenti and his late mother was there too. And this was when it was known he was leaving Bayern Munich. But it wasn't confirmed yet that he was going to Manchester City. Just speculated and I remember just sort of feeling the excitement then of English football and because it was pretty obvious he'd be coming to the Premier League and people that, you know, knew what a profound impact this could have if harnessed in the right way. I still don't know if it has in terms of getting him into St. George's park and you know, whether they could have tapped into it even further. Very busy man of course, and had a rather large commitment at Manchester City. But just his presence, just his is what he exhibits. How he impacts the players that he coaches at Manchester City who then come into the England camps. The John Stones and Phil Foden's of this world. And of course that extends to other nations too. FA tried to get him to become England manager certainly at the time of his last renewal and potentially even on other occasions as well. And yeah, it's amazing. It's been probably the biggest step change within English football certainly of my lifetime and possibly any stylistically and I mean that's, that's more than you could have ever imagined and asked for. So. And others of course have influence and it may not always be right to sort of just try and copy and replicate, but the way people have observed and learned and talked about him and the regard in which they hold him and now try to adapt a lot was changing earlier with introduction of eppp Premier League academies trying to produce a different type of footballer. We've seen with the Foden's and Cole Palmers of this world and, and there's, there's scores of them. You know, the, the Wanyeri's and JJ Gabriels has been phenomenal again. When I was growing up, there were very few stylistic players. It was more blood and thunder and physicality and size. Interestingly, the style of the Premier League this season has gone more towards that than the, the more technical players. But yeah, for football reasons across the English pyramid, up and down the leagues and even to grassroots and Sunday league is, has been amazing. And you know, of course he'll be missed but the influence will live on.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Yeah, you know, Jack, the older football fans in us remember the Ferguson Wenger years and how beautiful that was in terms of having two managers at the top of their game going toe to toe. I guess the younger fans will probably remember, you know, Jurgen Klopp. Pep Guardioli is as well. I mean, how important was it for him to have someone that was easily pipping him to the post several seasons and keeping him on his toes as well?

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Yeah, hugely. Like, I think whenever you hear Guardiola speak like he could not, he could not be more positive and enthusiastic and respectful about that rivalry with Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. I think Bernardo Silva repeated it as well, actually, in an interview with the Athletic the other week. Like, that Liverpool team was so good, they were so powerful. They were the perfect complement to City in the sense that they were very much the product of a powerful manager who had a very, very clear idea of how he wanted his team to play, which the players religiously bought into. And it was a great era. Like, it was great to see two teams that good going toe to toe time after time. Obviously, City narrowly got the better of it in terms of trophies, but there were some big wins for Liverpool along the way. Not just the title they won, but that FA cup semi final in 2022 or when they knocked City out in, I think 2018. So, yeah, it was a great, it was a, it was a really, really great rivalry. And I think, you know, you could argue it was a bit of a golden age for the Premier League.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Jack, is there a bit of a dark cloud looming over this? Because what impact does the alleged 115 charges, having not been resolved, have on Guardiola's legacy? I must say Manchester City deny these charges as well.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

I think it's impossible to fully evaluate Guardiola's work at Manchester City independent of the Manchester City's ownership. The money that they've spent and also the 115 charges, you know, we don't have, we don't have an outcome to that. We've been waiting, we've been waiting for that for years. Obviously what Manchester City have been accused of, which they deny their innocence on, is very, very serious and significant offenses. So, yeah, I do think that has to be taken into account given that, you know, obviously Guardiola has had a huge amount of money to spend, which he's been able to, to buy some fantastic players with.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Right, let's move on because next let's assess who's coming next. Well, joining us now, as we move on to discuss the possible appointment of Enzo Maresca as Guardiola's successor, is our Chelsea reporter, Liam Toomey. Liam, good to have you with us. Look, Liam, this is big news that Pep Guardiola is looking to leave Manchester City. But when we talk about possible replacements, Enzo Maresca is a name that's hot on people's lips. What do you think he will bring to the job?

[Liam Toomey]

Well, I think he brings a measure of continuity. He's not just familiar with elite football environments, he's familiar with this particular elite football environment at Manchester City. He was Pep Guardiola's assistant in the season that they won the treble, the crowning achievement of the Guardiola era. And he also coached a development squad when Guardiola was there, just across the road, so to speak. So he clearly has an intimate knowledge of the house that Guardiola built and that will help him. There won't be culture shocks, there won't be surprises that he comes in and suddenly realizes the challenge is much bigger than he thought it was. So that should all work in his favour. And I think in terms of the football as well, clearly no two coaches are the same, but Maresca is very much of the Guardiola school. The positional play style, he occasionally gets to the certain shapes that he wants in possession in slightly different ways to Guardiola, but there are some similarities, and also similarities in the way that Maresca will make slight tweaks to his game plan from game to game, in recognition of the strengths of his personnel, but also the nature of his opponent. And he is meticulous in his preparation, which I'm sure will not be a shock to Manchester City players. Having worked with Guardiola for so long,

[Ayo Akimolere]

I was going to ask you if there's anything to really look out for in terms of red flags, but I wonder if this feels like an upgrade for him. He's clearly someone who backs himself, but secondly, as someone who's clearly outspoken, as we've seen it, his time at Chelsea. So potentially with a better team in stock that he's entering, should this be a much more manageable situation for him as an ambitious coach?

[Liam Toomey]

Well, Maresca is certainly walking into a stronger squad right now, a stronger, more seasoned squad that has won together. And that can be a good thing or and a bad thing. It's a good thing because you've got a higher base to build from. It's as slot proved in his first season at Liverpool. I think the, you know, the infrastructure is there. To keep winning immediately. But the bad thing is that if you do start to change things or things start to drop off in terms of results, in terms of performances, you may have players in your new dressing room going, well, we always did it this way and it always worked. You know, why are we changing? That's the kind of challenge that any coach following someone as successful as Guardiola would face. Now, Maresca is a very confident guy. He's a very confident guy. He backed himself to, to come to Chelsea after one season at Leicester and make his mark. He did that. I think, you know, his, his Premier League record is not amazing at Chelsea, but he won two trophies. He delivered Champions League qualification. The only blue coat coach who has done that so far. The manner of his departure, I think might raise red flags to some clubs. Clearly it hasn't to City. Clearly they think that the cultural fit is much cleaner. But he did leave Chelsea in the middle of a season after informing them that he had been talking to City about succeeding Guardiola. And you know, he never had a great connection with the Chelsea fans. I suspect there will be no love loss for him now, given what has become clear about this succession plan at City. Chelsea have never had a coach leave for a domestic rival like this, certainly not in the middle of a season. And I don't think the effect on Chelsea season can be underplayed. So there would, there would be some clubs that would look at that and go, that's, that's, that's something to be a bit wary of. But City know Maresca really well. Maresca knows City really well. And they must be confident that they can handle the aspects of his personality that might be a bit spikier.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Okay, Liam, appreciate your time as always. Thank you.

[Liam Toomey]

Always a pleasure.

[Kim Holderness]

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[Mark Bittman]

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[Ayo Akimolere]

You're listening to the Athletic FC podcast with Ayo Akamolere.

Well David, you've been consistent reporting on Manchester City's interest in Enzo Maresca. Why do you think he is the best candidate to succeed Pep Guardiola?

[David Ornstein]

I'm not saying he is the best candidate. Manchester City obviously feel that he is. And yeah, it's not just interest. Manchester City or people on their behalf were talking to Enzo Maresca while he was Chelsea head coach and we revealed that at the time of Maresca's departure prior he had been identified, which we also revealed as as being a candidate that was high in their thinking as and when a change would be made. People I speak to in the industry say the desire to have Maresca replace Guardiola went back even further, that he was identified long ago in one of the previous incarnations of Pep, possibly leaving. But this is somebody who City know extremely well. He knows City extremely well. He'd worked there before. I think. You know, there have been suggestions that Cheeky Baguirustain, the former sporting director, had a vision long ago that that Maresca would would follow. Pep and City are excellent at forward planning in all areas. Players, staff, executives. It's not a fine science, but you can imagine the wheels have been in motion for a long time. Even when Baghiristan was being replaced by Hugo Viana, they had a succession plan. It was a transition period where he was kind of, I don't know if he was doubling up in his his job at Sporting and Man City, but he was kind of signing off from one job and starting another before officially being the successor to Cheeky Baghirostein. And you know, you wonder what City have been doing to, to lay the foundations for this. I'm sure the work will be deep and diligent to make sure that he, he hits the ground running, that they have a big summer ahead, of course. So it's not so much like who's best, it's who's more suitable for them and their model and their people and their systems. It's a, an incredibly unique place City. So you know, you could have your opinion on whether Xabi Alonso, Vincent Kompany, Cesc Fabregas, Roberto de Zerbi and so on and so forth. Reuben Amarim, better, worse coaches and there will be a lot of scrutiny on, you know, and I've already seen it almost like Enzo Maresca, you know, replacing Pep Guardiola. It's more City knowing or thinking they know what will be the best fit for them and their people and clearly they believe that to be Mareska. You could say it's a gamble. Everything's a gamble. There's every chance it will go well and, and there's every chance because these are the biggest of shoes to fill. There'll be problems and City's job will be trying to mitigate and reduce those problems as far as possible. Post Sir Alex Ferguson, we saw it with David Moyes. Post Arsene Wenger, we saw it with Unai Emery. Liverpool actually managed the transition better with on a slot succeeding in the Premier League in his first season. But, but this is a real test of, of Hugo Viana first and foremost because it's his first appointment as sporting director. But also of course Ferran Soriano as chief executive. Kaldunamu Mubarak above him on behalf of Sheikh Mansour. The ownership, it's a, it's a defining moment in, in their modern history, in, in their all time history. You could say they would have had help along the way to grease the wheels. Of course. George Mendez represents Maresca, the so called super agent. He is also very close to Hugo Vallana represented him in his playing career as well. So a lot of links here. But yeah, I, I don't know what the chosen one, the, the we've had the special one, the brave one maybe.

[Ayo Akimolere]

The brave one, that's a good one. Yeah, the brave one from Maresca. I mean look, it's clear there these are really big shoes to fill Jack in Pep Guardiola's time at Manchester City I think he's shown only had like one season where he hasn't managed to win a trophy. Maybe that was his first season. Maresca, of course Was one the club World cup and Conference League with Chelsea. Do you think the fans are prepared for what's to come at Manchester City? Perhaps maybe one or two years where they don't see trophies because it's not what they're used to?

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Yeah, it's a really interesting. It's a really interesting one that, isn't it, like how, how the fans would respond if, if they have a downturn. I think it's. It's very plausible that they have a downturn. I think that, you know, obviously look at, I don't know, David Moyes at Manchester United or Unai Emery, Arsenal. Like, it's very, very tough to follow a legendary manager. Like, it just. It changes the atmosphere, it changes the mood so much that it can be difficult to, you know, for the club to continue succeeding. Like, even, even if you look at Guardiola's. I think I'm right in saying that, you know, when left Bayern, for example, it wasn't. It took Bayern a while to. To rediscover a good playing identity. Again, look, I think Murescu is tactically very good and his results have been good, but I think that if there's one area where he might need to improve, it's probably on communication, like the fans will. He doesn't say a huge amount in press conferences and I think fans might want to hear a bit more from him, certainly, again, compared with Guardiola, who's so kind of comfortable and confident talking about a range of topics in public. So, yeah, it will be interesting to see how that transition is managed and whether or not the fans take to Maresca.

[Ayo Akimolere]

David, you mentioned the England job earlier. Obviously Thomas Tuchel has signed an extension to his deal, but do we know what's next for Guardiola?

[David Ornstein]

Oh, no, I don't. There's a lot of speculation in the industry. Some said he's going to retire, others sabbatical. I think Inter Miami was flying around a career in golf waiting for Enzo Maresca to fail and then come back to Manchester City. I don't know what you've got on your bingo card. He will presumably take a bit of time out, deservedly so. It's been a difficult period for him on a personal level. Pretty well documented in the media, unfortunately, about his. His marriage and he's been away from home for a long time and, and his kids have grown up and you. You wish him nothing but the best on that front. He's got so many interests, he's. He's of potential priceless use to so many People in so many different areas. A few people have mentioned to me he's got a bit of a plan of. Of what he plans to do and when and where, but that's one we'll have to get working on because I don't have any insight at this point. And listen, it's. He stayed at City far beyond, I think he intended to, far beyond any stint at any previous club. We know how much he puts into it, how little he leaves out there. It was tormenting at times for him, I'm sure, in the nicest possible way. It can be incredible, but also really hard to work with him because of his demands and his intensity and what he puts himself through. You only need to read and know about some of the stuff from his time at Barcelona and Bayern. It was sort of torment we saw at Manchester City with sort of scratches on his face and things last season. There have been some rocky periods. It's nice for him that, that, you know, they've managed to end on. On a high with a couple of trophies this time around. Let's see what happens in the Premier League. Only one Champions League, but that one Champions League shouldn't really be an only given, given City had never come close to it before and it's an historic achievement and, And I'm sure there'll be some. Some frustrations. There's also, you know, some caveats. They've spent really heavily, a gain now in excess of £400 million in the last year, year and a half, and that does help them, you know, lay the foundations for. For the next chapter. And there's. There's going to be some. Some tough calls after his departure. Obviously, Bernardo Silva's going. What's going to happen with. With Rodri? So there's still an element of transition, though. There'll be new players coming in, but I. I don't think we're getting the violins out on that front. The heart doesn't bleed. They're in. They're in really good shape and, and that is largely testament to him. Maybe can go and have a lie down in a cold, dark room for a bit before finalizing next steps.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Yeah, you know, Jack, he speaks vividly about his love for Manchester and how he's seen it as a home. You know, I've also seen him at these Oasis concerts, singing his heart out. Heart out. But also in an interview years ago, he spoke about how he wanted to taste international football, how he wanted to taste the World Cup. I can see him as an international coach. I mean, it'd be less stress. But that brand of football on the World cup stage, come on, it's made for Guardiola, surely.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Yeah, yeah. I mean it'd be interesting, wouldn't it? Because he wouldn't be able to like he's such a hands on coach. I think he'd be so, he's so reliant on being able to teach his players how to play quite a complicated game that I, I wonder whether his style would, how it would translate to international football where you get such limited time with the players. But equally, given that he's won, he's won so much across the Spanish, German and English leagues now, and he's obviously won multiple champions leagues as well, you kind of wonder if he's looking for a different source of fulfillment in football. International football would be the obvious place to look and I'm sure there will be federations from around the world kind of desperately trying to put together an attractive package to try and get Guardiola as their to lead their team out at the 2030 World cup or whatever.

[Ayo Akimolere]

Yeah, for sure. Right. Jack, David, appreciate your time as always. Sam and Liam as well. Thanks for your insights and thank you guys for joining us as well. We'll catch you soon.

You've been listening to the Athletic FC podcast. The producers were Guy Clark, Mike Stavroo and Jack Beale with editing by Paul Iliff and Nick Thompson. The executive producer is A.D. moorhead. To listen to other great athletic podcasts for free, including our dedicated club shows. Search for the Athletic Wherever you get your podcasts, you'll also find us on YouTube at the Athletic FC Podcast, so make sure you subscribe. The Athletic FC Podcast is an athletic media company Production.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Foreign.

[Kim Holderness]

This is Kim and Pen Holderness from Lifeline.

[Penn Holderness]

Summer is here, which means it's officially travel season.

[Kim Holderness]

And when you're out there making plans, you need somewhere reliable to stay.

[Penn Holderness]

That's why Best Western is such a

[Kim Holderness]

solid option this summer. Get 1,000 bonus points and a chance to win250,000 bonus points.

[Penn Holderness]

So wherever you're headed and make it count. With this limited time offer, life's a trip.

[Kim Holderness]

Make the most of [e-mail] no additional purchase necessary.

[Penn Holderness]

For sweeps, see bonus points, tees and Cs and sweeps rules for details and visit bestwestern.com for complete terms and conditions.

[Lowe's Announcer]

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[Sam Lee]

Com.