Photo: The White House / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Enzo Maresca, the new Manchester City head coach, has named his dream five-a-side team drawn from the players he featured alongside or faced during his 19-year professional career.
Maresca made his professional debut at West Brom in 1998 and went on to play for clubs including Juventus, Sevilla, Olympiacos, Malaga and Palermo. During that time, his native Italy won the 2006 World Cup and reached two European Championship finals.
In goal, Maresca chose Gianluigi Buffon. "He was one of the best goalkeepers in the world for many years and also because he won the World Cup with my country Italy in 2006. He was top."
Zinedine Zidane earned his place in the outfield. "He was so elegant in the games but also every day in each session. A top, top player," Maresca said.
Alessandro Del Piero was another selection. Maresca described him simply as: "Artist, magic, good guy."
For the defensive spot, Maresca picked Ciro Ferrara. "Good defender, strong, good guy. He came from my city," he said.
Maresca completed the five-man lineup by naming himself, with a note of self-deprecation. "I don't know if you've heard of him! He was just a normal player but he would enjoy to play with these kinds of players."
Maresca takes charge of Manchester City for the 2026/27 season, succeeding Pep Guardiola in the role.