All the legal negotiation between Chelsea FC and Manchester City, regarding the Enzo Maresca buyout situation, are finally over! And with that, the on-the-record statements can finally be released and Maresca can be officially announced as the Man City manager. We have known since the final week of the season that Pep Guardiola was stepping down, and that Maresca was in line to succeed him. However, it is only today that the Ts are crossed and the Is dotted on the deal that released Maresca from his Chelsea contractual obligations, and thus, available to join City.
Welcome back, Enzo 🩵
🔗 https://t.co/7BpGdG82na pic.twitter.com/2RfmNA7qMj
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 29, 2026
Both clubs released official statements on the matter within the past couple hours.
Let’s start with Maresca (we covered the Chelsea statement in this post), who made it clear that he was not sacked by Chelsea, and that it wasn’t a mutual parting of ways either. He left via his own volition, and the Chelsea statement re-affirms that.
“At the end of December 2025, I made the difficult decision to leave Chelsea,” reads a MCFC statement attributed to Maresca.
“The decision was only mine. My resignation from Chelsea opened a path for me to join Manchester City, which is a club I knew very well. I am ecstatic that I have now joined Manchester City. I recognise that my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise for that. It was neither my intention nor my wish.
“I was treated well by everyone at Chelsea and together we achieved great success and memories that I will always treasure.
“I am grateful to the club, the owners and the fans for giving me the opportunity.”
Chelsea will reportedly receive £17m in compensation for the Italian’s departure. It is believed that Maresca will pay compensation to the club himself, although the specific amount remains confidential, and this is part of a separate agreement. Manchester City will host Chelsea on December 12 this season. The reverse fixture is April 24 at Stamford Bridge.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.