According to Fabrizio Romano, Enzo Maresca has reached a verbal agreement with Manchester City on a three-year contract. The 46-year-old Italian is no stranger to the Etihad — he served as Guardiola’s assistant during the historic 2022/23 treble season, then built his own CV at Leicester and Chelsea. Now he returns as the man in charge.
Who Is Enzo Maresca: The Road to the Etihad
Maresca isn’t a gamble. His path from Guardiola’s dugout to the top job at City is one of the most coherent managerial progressions in recent English football.
| Season | Club | Role | Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | Manchester City | assistant manager | treble: PL + FA Cup + UCL |
| 2023/24 | Leicester City | head coach | Championship title, promoted to Premier League |
| 2024/25 | Chelsea | head coach | UEFA Conference League + FIFA Club World Cup |
| Jan 2026 | Chelsea | — | departed |
| Summer 2026 | Manchester City | head coach | — |
Three trophies in three seasons as a head coach. The Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea isn’t a small-club story — that’s European-level management under genuine pressure. Maresca left Chelsea in January 2026, making way for Xabi Alonso — and now the destination is clear.
Why Guardiola Is Leaving: A Decade That Redefined the Club
Pep Guardiola took over at Manchester City in 2016. In 10 years: 20 major trophies in England — six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, four League Cups, one Champions League. The most successful decade in the club’s history by a distance.
No official statement yet, but the departure is expected after the Premier League’s final day. Per NBC Sports, Guardiola is leaving of his own accord — after a decade at the highest intensity, stepping away on his own terms.
What Maresca Changes — and What Stays the Same
The key question for bettors: how disruptive is this transition? Probably less disruptive than most. Three reasons:
- Maresca understands Guardiola’s system. Positional play, high press, ball control — he learned this directly under Pep and won’t dismantle it, because it’s the foundation of his own coaching identity.
- The squad stays. Haaland, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva — the core isn’t going anywhere. This isn’t a rebuild.
- He’s handled big squad pressure before. Chelsea’s dressing room is famously complex. Maresca navigated it to two trophies.
The risk: first-season friction is almost universal for new managers at top clubs. Even Guardiola was criticised for going trophyless in his first City season.
Premier League 2026/27 Betting: What to Expect From the Market
Outright odds for 2026/27 aren’t finalised yet, but the market logic is predictable. Approximate picture at the start of next season:
| Club | Expected EPL 2026/27 Title Odds | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 2.80–3.50 | likely 2025/26 champions, squad getting younger |
| Manchester City | 3.50–4.50 | manager change — market will price in uncertainty |
| Liverpool | 4.00–5.00 | consistent contender under Slot |
| Chelsea | 6.00–8.00 | Alonso arrived — ambitions elevated |
The key insight: the market will almost certainly overestimate the disruption of Maresca’s arrival and price City longer than their actual probability warrants. If Maresca — as all evidence suggests — continues Guardiola’s system with the same squad, City remain a top-two contender. At odds of 4.00–4.50, that’s a potentially valuable early sports betting position when the market opens.
Key Takeaways for Bettors
- Maresca isn’t a left-field appointment — he knows City’s system from the inside and has proven himself in Europe
- The market will likely overprice City’s “transition risk” heading into 2026/27
- Watch for early season odds — value appears in the first weeks after the market publishes
- Chelsea under Alonso are a legitimate dark horse for the title at longer odds
Where to Bet on the Premier League 2026/27
Top platforms with early access to next season’s Premier League futures:
- 1xBet — EPL 2026/27 outright odds typically open early / visit site →
- 1Win Casino — sports betting + convenient mobile app / visit site →
- Stake Casino — crypto betting, next season futures / visit site →
- BC.Game — EPL 2026/27 title markets available / visit site →
