Following Guardiola may be impossible job - Maresca

Enzo Maresca, the former assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, is set to take over as the club's new manager following Guardiola's departure at the end of last season. Maresca, who spent 10 years at City, acknowledges the challenge of following in Guardiola's footsteps, stating that comparing his first 10 games to Guardiola's performances might put pressure on him.

However, Maresca sees it as a privilege to manage the team he once assisted. He emphasizes that the Premier League remains the best league in the world due to the quality of players, managers, and organizational structure. Maresca has moved into the office of former assistant Pep Lijnders, next to Guardiola's old office, to immerse himself in the club and understand the environment better.

He has also taken steps to improve his knowledge of artificial intelligence, as it becomes increasingly relevant in the sports world. Despite the rise in set-pieces and man-to-man defending in the Premier League, Maresca believes it is still the best league with the best players, citing Arsenal's success from set-pieces as an example.

He has not implemented an initiation song, preferring to learn more about each player individually. Maresca is also focused on finding a homegrown player to be the next captain after Bernardo Silva's departure, with Erling Haaland being a frontrunner for the armband.