Josko Gvardiol has backed Enzo Maresca to succeed Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager, describing the Italian as the “perfect choice” while warning that the squad will need time to adapt to a new way of working.
Guardiola’s decade-long reign came to an end after last season, with Manchester City appointing Maresca on a three-year contract. The former Leicester City manager won the English second-tier Championship with Leicester and also guided Chelsea to victory in the Club World Cup.
Maresca took charge of Manchester City for the first time in Saturday’s friendly in Hong Kong, where his side lost to Inter Milan on penalties.
Gvardiol said the appointment was made because Maresca possessed the qualities required to succeed.
“The level is very high, and he was chosen as the manager for a good reason. I think he has great ability and new ideas, and we also need to see what we can offer in terms of our style of play, the type of football we will adopt and the tactical plans,” Gvardiol told the BBC.
“I think he is the perfect choice, but it will take some time. Everything is new for us, and changing the manager is not easy, so we will need a period to adapt. Our job is to help him as much as possible, listen to his instructions and try to adjust as quickly as we can.”
The Croatia defender also explained that his first conversation with Maresca focused on his fitness and how he had previously played under Guardiola.
“I met him and we spoke a little about my injury, our style of play and how I played under Pep Guardiola. That was more or less everything we discussed,” he said.
Guardiola’s departure
Gvardiol said Manchester City’s players sensed that Guardiola’s departure was approaching before the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager made the decision public.
The Croatia international missed five months of last season after suffering a fracture to the bone in his right leg in January. He returned to play twice in May, while speculation about Guardiola’s future continued to grow.
Guardiola eventually confirmed his decision to leave during the final week of the campaign.
“Some people think he should have told us his decision earlier, while others believe the opposite. I think the timing was perfect, because if he had told us earlier, it might have affected us mentally,” said Gvardiol.
“We knew that at some point he would tell us his decision. He had been here for 10 years, and it was natural that he would need some rest and time away. We felt that this moment was getting closer.”
He added: “In the 2024-25 season he was unsure whether to stay or leave, and then he decided to continue. That was great because it gave us another season to try to win trophies.”
“Two seasons ago we went through a very difficult period and did not win any of 13 consecutive matches. Unfortunately, the time came for him to leave, but who knows? Maybe he will return after six months when he has regained his energy.”
Manchester City captaincy
Gvardiol was also asked who might lead Manchester City next season following Bernardo Silva’s move to Real Madrid at the end of his contract and John Stones’ free transfer to Inter Milan.
The defender played in all four of Croatia’s matches at this summer’s World Cup before they were eliminated by Portugal in the last 32. Croatia had a late equaliser ruled out after a Video Assistant Referee review.
Manchester City team-mate Ruben Dias played for Portugal in that match, while midfielder Rodri led Spain to the World Cup title. Gvardiol, meanwhile, secured his own future by signing a new five-year contract with Manchester City.
“It is difficult to talk about that now, and we have to wait and see what happens,” he said.
“Ruben Dias is one of the leaders in the team, and he is likely to take on that role more in the coming period. He could perhaps become the first captain.”
Gvardiol added: “He will need the support of the players who have spent longer at the club. If I am chosen to take on this responsibility, I will be ready for it.”
