Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has denied any interest in succeeding Pep Guardiola at Manchester City next season, stating his desire to remain with the Blues until the end of his contract in the summer of 2029.
English media outlets had suggested that Guardiola is likely to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the current season, and that City’s management prefers to appoint Maresca, who previously served as the Spanish tactician’s assistant, as his successor and the new leader of the English giant’s project.
In the pre-match press conference before Chelsea’s game against Newcastle, Maresca addressed these rumors, saying, “Will I be with Chelsea next season? Absolutely, yes. I have a contract until 2029, and this is just speculation.”
He added, “I have nothing to add because I don’t care. If the talk continues, it means I do care. I’m only focused on the Newcastle game and my job.”
He added, “This doesn’t affect me at all, because I know it’s just speculation. At the moment, I don’t have time for such things, first and foremost because my contract here runs until 2029.”
He concluded, “I’ve said it many times, my focus is solely on this club, and I’m very proud to be here. It’s just speculation. A week ago, in Italy, it was the same thing with Juventus. I don’t pay any attention to it because I know it’s untrue.”
Last season, Maresca successfully guided Chelsea back to the Champions League after a long absence, before achieving the London club’s biggest success under the new American ownership by winning the 2025 Club World Cup.
