Maresca: 'It's a privilege to follow Guardiola at Man City, but also a massive challenge'

Enzo Maresca has officially taken over as Manchester City head coach, and in his first major interview since returning to the club, the Italian opened up about succeeding Pep Guardiola, his relationship with the former boss, and his own vision. Maresca revealed he has stayed in close contact with Guardiola since the Catalan decided to leave. "We met a week ago and spent a few hours together, just talking as friends. Our bond has always been strong, going back to my time with the U23s," he said. Taking over after a manager of Guardiola's stature, he admitted, is both an honour and a serious test. "History shows that clubs often struggle after a figure like him. I'm aware of that. But I feel calm and confident we can achieve a lot." On the pressure to win trophies, Maresca was firm: "At a club like City, titles are expected. But if you only focus on the end result, you miss the journey. I live day by day - I love the training ground, match preparation, working with players. Of course, ultimate success is measured in silverware, but right now I'm all about the process." The new boss made clear he isn't here to imitate anyone. "I'm not trying to copy anyone's work. I have my own idea of football, my own philosophy, and I want to implement it." When asked whether failing to win the Premier League in his first season would be a failure, Maresca replied: "In my previous two jobs, I won titles in the first season. So I'm coming to Manchester City with the mindset that we need to win from day one. But I'm not thinking about May or June - I'm thinking about today and tomorrow, about the 20 young players we're developing on the training pitch. We'll see where that takes us." It was earlier confirmed that Chelsea received compensation for Maresca's departure from his role at Stamford Bridge.