ROME (ITALPRESS) – “Guardiola and I had planned, before the end of the season, to spend some time together during the summer break. Sometimes I like to start work without preconceived notions so I can see things with my own eyes, but Pep has been here a long time and has his own opinions. Still, you have to arrive and see things for yourself to get the full picture.” This was said by Manchester City‘s new coach, Enzo Maresca, discussing the task of succeeding Pep Guardiola, with whom he consulted before signing with the Citizens. In an interview with British media in Seoul, South Korea, the Italian coach acknowledged that “after 10 games—whether we have 10, 20, or 30 points—people will draw comparisons with Pep. But that doesn’t put pressure on me,” explained Maresca, who describes the Catalan as “the best coach in the world” because “when he started in Spain, everyone wanted to play like Barcelona; he moved to Germany and everyone wanted to play like Bayern; he arrived in England and everyone wants to play like City.”
For Maresca, the Premier League remains the best league in the world: “It is down to the quality of the players, the quality of the managers, and the organization of the Premier League. It is completely different from other countries. Which league can compete with the Premier League? The Spanish one? Barcelona, Real Madrid—sure—but the rest aren’t on the same level. Here, there are six teams that are more or less at that level,” explains Maresca. Following Bernardo Silva’s departure, the captain’s armband needs to be assigned: “At Leicester and Chelsea, I had a rule: when we scored, the captain had to come over to the bench—not to celebrate, but to receive instructions. If he scored himself, then he could celebrate. But if Haaland were the captain, we’d have a problem,” jokes Maresca.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
