“Arteta and Enzo Maresca are both my products but I personally thinks Enzo Maresca us better than Mikel Arteta and here’s the reason”: Pep Gaurdiorla says Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca is better than Mikel Arteta, gives reasons
Man City will already be planning for life after Guardiola but ex-England midfielder Danny Murphy has essentially ruled Arteta and Maresca out of the running for the job despite their close links to the club.
Arsenal boss Arteta was Guardiola’s assistant at City before taking over Arsenal in 2021, while Chelsea manager Maresca worked in at the Etihad academy up until the same year.
Arteta has come close to winning the Premier League title at Arsenal while Maresca has made a superb start to his tenure at Stamford Bridge and will look for more success on Sunday when his Chelsea side take on the Gunners.
‘First, I suspect City will want a manager with experience of winning a major league or European competition. With Hugo Viana due to begin as a new sporting director, they’ll need someone in the hot seat who can attract the stars.
‘It’s a massive compliment to Pep Guardiola that two of the brightest Premier League managers worked for him at Manchester City and have greatly improved Chelsea and Arsenal on what they learned,’ Murphy told Mail Sport.
‘Enzo Maresca and Mikel Arteta will be in the conversation to succeed their mentor when Pep leaves because they already know the club so well. But I don’t think it’s going to happen.
‘Just as importantly, I don’t believe even if they are courted by City either Maresca or Arteta would be prepared at this stage to sacrifice the projects they are building for the awkward challenge of following a legend.
‘The only manager to compare with Guardiola in terms of success, Sir Alex Ferguson, has been impossible to match at Manchester United for more than a decade.’
