Photo: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Antoine Semenyo says Manchester City's players have taken quickly to Enzo Maresca's methods during the manager's first two weeks in charge, drawing comparisons to former boss Pep Guardiola.
"Very good, very detailed," Semenyo said of Maresca's training sessions. "He's got an eye for detail and he wants everything to be right, which is quite similar to Pep. That's good for us as players so we've enjoyed it so far."
City left the City Football Academy after seven days of pre-season work and have flown to Hong Kong, where they face Inter Milan on Saturday 1 August at 12:30 (UK). The squad will then travel to Seoul to play a K League All Stars side on 5 August and Atletico Madrid on 9 August, both kicking off at 12:00 (UK).
Semenyo said the reception in Hong Kong reinforced the club's global reach. "Getting to the hotel from the airport and seeing so many people welcoming us shows the great support we have out here," he said.
The winger noted that facing Inter and Atletico Madrid in pre-season carries extra relevance given both clubs are likely Champions League opponents during the coming season. "There's a lot of tough teams in the Premier League and Champions League and Inter and Atletico are two of those so we know that playing those at this stage is a good test for us," he said.
Semenyo joined City in January and has since made 27 appearances for the club, also featuring for Ghana at the World Cup. He said he returned to pre-season in good physical shape after Maresca granted him a short rest period. "My body feels good. I like to think I'm well rested," he said.