Photo: The White House / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Enzo Maresca has declared the Manchester City manager's role the best job in football, citing the shared vision of the club's leadership as a key reason for his conviction.
Maresca was appointed City boss this summer following Pep Guardiola's departure after ten years and 20 trophies at the club. The 46-year-old Italian joins from Chelsea, where he won the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup, having previously guided Leicester City back to the Premier League as champions.
"Absolutely yes," Maresca said when asked if the City role was the best in football. "It's a fantastic job, it's nice and exciting and for me, it is a privilege."
Maresca pointed to the alignment between chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, CEO Ferran Soriano, and sporting director Hugo Viana as central to his enthusiasm. "The most important thing for me has been that Khaldoon, Hugo and Ferran all speak the same language — this is a club that has to win games, titles and has to compete, but we also talk about how we can continue to make this club better, season after season."
The manager is no stranger to City, having previously served as EDS manager — where his side won the PL2 title — and as first-team assistant head coach during the club's Treble-winning campaign.
Among Maresca's backroom additions is former City goalkeeper Willy Caballero, who made 48 appearances for the club and played a key role in the 2013/14 League Cup triumph with penalty shootout heroics. Caballero and Maresca were also former team-mates at Malaga under ex-City manager Manuel Pellegrini.
"He has been a top player for 20 years, so he knows how the players think — which moment they need more words, which moment they need less words and when they need a hug," Maresca said of Caballero.