Enzo Maresca aims to bring ‘new concepts’ to first Man City match
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Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca coaching the team during open training ahead of their friendly match against Inter Milan.
PHOTO: AFP
- Enzo Maresca begins his Manchester City tenure aiming to introduce new ideas and insists the team should not be judged too quickly after Pep Guardiola's decade of success.
- Several key players, including Erling Haaland and Rodri, are absent from the Asia tour as Rodri recovers from surgery amid transfer rumours, which Maresca calls "speculation".
- Inter Milan signed former City defender John Stones on a two-year deal, with coach Cristian Chivu praising his quality, experience, and leadership to strengthen their defence.
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HONG KONG – Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca said on July 31 that people may be quick to judge his side, as he prepared for his first game in charge since succeeding Pep Guardiola.
The Italian formally took over in June following the departure of the legendary Catalan, who steered the club to 20 trophies during a supremely successful decade at the Etihad Stadium.
Maresca will lead City out for the first time in a pre-season friendly against Inter Milan in Hong Kong on Aug 1.
“We’re going to be judged, always – not just tomorrow,” the former Chelsea and Leicester boss said at a news conference.
“We started 10 days ago, all together, we are introducing some new concepts, so it’s also important tomorrow to see something.
“I don’t believe in copy and paste. I think every manager (is) different... so it’s my target, my duty, to try to introduce some new ideas.”
Several of City’s World Cup stars have not travelled with the squad to Hong Kong, the first stop on an Asia tour that will also include two games in Seoul.
Among them are striker Erling Haaland – last season’s Premier League top scorer – and Rodri, who captained Spain to World Cup victory earlier in July.
The midfielder is recovering from minor back surgery and has been rumoured to be a transfer target for Real Madrid.
Maresca dismissed the links as “speculation” and said that he and the club hierarchy had not had “any conversations just focused on Rodri”.
“The main focus for him when the season finished was the World Cup. Now he is enjoying some rest,” he said.
“Every manager in the world wants Rodri because he’s a top player, so it’s important for me, for the club, for everyone, but now he needs his holiday.”
Meanwhile, Inter announced the signing of former City defender John Stones on a two-year deal on July 30.
The 32-year-old left City when his contract expired at the end of June, and helped England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.
“For us, having the possibility to get John Stones (as) a free agent, it’s important,” Inter head coach Cristian Chivu said on July 31.
“It’s important for the quality he brings, it’s important for the personality, for the charisma he has, for the experience that he has shown.
“It’s one defender added to our group of defenders who will definitely improve the department.” AFP