Enzo Maresca Reveals When He Will Call Pep Guardiola for Advice at Manchester City

Enzo Maresca has revealed that Pep Guardiola will remain available to offer him advice at Manchester City, but the new City boss has no intention of constantly calling his former mentor as he attempts to establish his own era at the Etihad Stadium.

Maresca has taken on one of the most difficult managerial jobs in European football after replacing Guardiola following the Spaniard’s hugely successful 10-year spell in Manchester.

The Italian already has a strong relationship with his predecessor after previously working alongside him at City, and he knows Guardiola remains only a phone call away if he needs guidance.

However, Maresca believes it is important to choose those moments carefully.

“He’ll be available but he has to enjoy his holiday,” Maresca said.

“He has to relax, so the idea is not to call him all the time.”

The new City manager added that he will have to decide which situations are important enough to pick up the phone and speak to Guardiola.

Maresca Can Still Turn to Guardiola

Having Guardiola available as an informal source of advice could prove extremely valuable for Maresca.

Few people understand Manchester City better than the man who managed the club for a decade.

Guardiola knows many of the players, senior figures and expectations surrounding the Etihad, while his understanding of City’s football structure was developed over years of competing for the biggest trophies.

Maresca therefore has access to an extraordinary amount of knowledge if he needs it.

But the Italian does not want to become dependent on his former boss.

His comments suggest he understands that replacing Guardiola also means demonstrating his own ability to make difficult decisions.

There will inevitably be moments when speaking to Guardiola could help, but calling him after every difficult result or tactical problem would make it much harder for Maresca to establish his own authority.

Guardiola Finally Taking a Break From Football

Maresca’s reluctance to constantly contact Guardiola is also about respecting the reason his former boss left Manchester City.

Guardiola stepped down at the end of last season after 10 years in charge.

After almost two decades of regularly dealing with the demands of elite management at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, the Spaniard made clear that he wanted time away from coaching.

He said he needed to breathe and relax and had no immediate plans to return to management.

That makes Maresca’s position understandable.

Guardiola may be willing to answer the phone, but Maresca knows his former mentor has earned the opportunity to enjoy life without constantly thinking about Manchester City’s problems.

Maresca and Guardiola Have a Long Relationship

The relationship between the two managers goes back several years.

Maresca first joined Manchester City in 2020 when he was appointed manager of the club’s Elite Development Squad.

He enjoyed immediate success, guiding City’s youngsters to the Premier League 2 title.

After leaving to take charge of Parma, Maresca eventually returned to Manchester in 2022 and became part of Guardiola’s first-team coaching staff.

That experience allowed him to observe Guardiola’s methods at close range.

He saw how the Spaniard prepared his teams, communicated with players and dealt with the enormous pressure that comes with managing a club expected to compete for every major trophy.

Maresca subsequently left City to become Leicester City manager and guided the Foxes to promotion from the Championship.

His managerial journey later took him to Chelsea before the opportunity arrived to return to Manchester City as Guardiola’s successor.

Guardiola Already Gave Maresca Important Advice

Guardiola had already made his position clear before Maresca officially succeeded him.

When discussing the identity of City’s next manager towards the end of his tenure, Guardiola said he intended to speak with his replacement once the appointment was confirmed.

His message was simple: be yourself.

Guardiola believed his successor should trust his own ideas rather than attempt to copy everything that had happened during the previous decade.

He also stressed that Manchester City’s hierarchy would support the new manager, particularly during difficult periods.

That could prove particularly important for Maresca.

Replacing a manager who delivered six Premier League titles and transformed Manchester City into one of Europe’s dominant clubs creates almost impossible comparisons.

Every tactical decision and every major result will inevitably be measured against what Guardiola achieved.

Maresca cannot completely escape those comparisons.

But he can ensure they do not dictate how he manages the team.

Maresca Wants to Do Things His Own Way

There are already indications that Maresca wants to put his own stamp on Manchester City.

The Italian shares several tactical principles with Guardiola, which is hardly surprising considering their history together.

Both place considerable importance on controlling possession, positional play and building attacks intelligently from the back.

But similar football philosophies do not mean Maresca intends to simply recreate Guardiola’s Manchester City.

He needs to develop his own relationship with the squad and decide which elements of City’s previous approach should remain and which need to change.

Maresca has already begun making changes behind the scenes at City’s training complex as he establishes his own working environment.

That is a natural part of the transition.

Guardiola’s influence will remain visible throughout the club for years, but Manchester City now belong to a different manager.

Following Guardiola Is an Enormous Challenge

The scale of Maresca’s task becomes clearer when looking at what Guardiola left behind.

During his decade in Manchester, Guardiola won 17 major trophies.

That included six Premier League titles and the Champions League, while City also completed a historic Treble during the 2022/23 campaign.

He changed expectations at the club.

Winning the Premier League became normal rather than extraordinary, while competing deep into the Champions League became an annual expectation.

Maresca inherits those standards.

Supporters will understand that a managerial transition requires some adjustment, but expectations at a club with City’s resources remain extremely high.

The new manager will be expected to challenge for major trophies almost immediately.

Maresca Knows Guardiola Is Only a Phone Call Away

That is where having Guardiola available could become particularly useful.

There may be moments during the season when Maresca encounters situations his predecessor has already experienced.

Perhaps it will involve handling a particular player.

Perhaps it will concern the pressure surrounding a difficult run of results.

Or maybe Maresca will simply want the perspective of someone who understands exactly what it feels like to manage Manchester City.

When those moments arrive, he knows he can make the call.

But Maresca’s approach appears sensible.

Guardiola has stepped away from football because he wants a break, and his successor wants to respect that decision.

More importantly, Manchester City’s new manager knows that he ultimately has to make his own decisions.

Guardiola can provide advice.

He can share his experience.

He can offer an opinion when Maresca needs one.

But this is no longer Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team to manage.

It is Enzo Maresca’s.

And while Guardiola may only ever be a phone call away, Maresca appears determined to make sure he only picks up that phone when the moment is right.