Enzo Maresca Takes Trusted Chelsea Lieutenants to Manchester City

Manchester City have confirmed that their new head coach, Enzo Maresca, will be supported by a coaching team he already knows well from his time at Chelsea. The Premier League giants announced seven new members of Maresca’s backroom staff, including Roberto Vitiello, Willy Caballero, Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, and Marcos Alvarez, who will all take up residence at the Etihad Stadium.

Vitiello, who worked with Maresca at Chelsea, Leicester, and Parma, becomes the club’s new assistant manager. Caballero, who is adored by fans for his heroics in the penalty shootout that helped City win the EFL Cup, has returned to the club as a first-team coach. Danny Walker, another returning figure, previously worked in the academy before following Maresca to Leicester and Chelsea. He has also been appointed first-team coach.

Other news includes the appointment of De Bernardin as the club’s new Head of Goalkeeping and Alvarez as first-team fitness coach to keep the squad in peak condition. The club also appointed Denis Silva as the new first-team coach and Javier Molina as the new analyst, giving Maresca a specialist team who understand his possession-heavy methodology well. Set-piece coach James French and goalkeeping coach Richard Wright will stay in their roles from the 2025-26 season onwards.

How Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea Exit Affected the Blues

How Maresca left Stamford Bridge will continue to cast a long shadow over the wider Premier League and west London. He ended his contract on January 1 and was replaced by Liam Rosenior. The departure of Rosenior in April led to a disjointed second half of the campaign, with Chelsea missing out on European competition by finishing tenth in the Premier League.

City’s appointment was met with a strongly worded statement from Chelsea, who were careful not to mention their former head coach. The Blues confirmed as part of the resolution that they had received compensation from both City and Maresca himself. The compensation figure is reported to be around £17 million. Club officials believe his interest in the City position, which they were informed about during the autumn, jeopardized the campaign.

Xabi Alonso has since been put in charge at Stamford Bridge, tasked with returning stability to Stamford Bridge after a turbulent and damaging season. The appointment was welcomed by Chelsea, who described Alonso as a man of the highest integrity and an outstanding football brain. West London supporters will be looking for some consistency in this new chapter that was so painfully missing last season.

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