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Enzo Maresca has said Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium is Pep Guardiola’s “house” and described his predecessor as “very positive” when the pair met after the Cityzens lost at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Guardiola, who left City after 10 years at the end of last season, made his first appearance at City’s home since the club was found guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League rules in a ruling they are appealing.
“I saw him after the game,” said Maresca, who had a brief spell as Guardiola’s assistant from June 2022 before joining Leicester City the following year.
“We were talking about the game. He was, first of all, very happy to be at the stadium, and then very positive about things he had seen during the game.
“I said before the game that I think it was great also for the fans to see him at the stadium. This will always be his house.”
Guardiola appeared to address City fans after the Premier League announced the ruling in September.
“Let me be clear,” said the City icon. “We will get through this together. I love you all.”
In his most recent public comments about the charges, Guardiola backed club owners City Football Group, for whom he remains a global ambassador.
“I spoke with them and trust how they behave and how they did,” the Spaniard said in May, via BBC Sport. “What happened, happened.”
Maresca, who has guided City three points clear at the top of the table by winning his first six league matches in charge, reiterated his trust in the group in his remarks before City host 10th-placed Ipswich Town on Saturday.
City became the dominant force in English football for much of Guardiola’s reign, with many crediting the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager with transforming the English game because of his possession-heavy passing style.
Here are the trophies he won with the club.
| Competition | Years |
|---|---|
| Premier League | 2017/18, 2018/19, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24 |
| FA Cup | 2018/19, 2022/23, 2025/26 |
| EFL Cup | 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2025/26 |
| Champions League | 2022/23 |
| Super Cup | 2023 |
| Club World Cup | 2023 |
| Community Shield | 2018, 2019, 2024 |
Inflatable features were a feature around the stadium during City’s 4-2 defeat to the European holders, falling short of a second-half comeback after conceding three goals without reply before the break.
The tradition among City fans dates to the late 1980s and Maresca suggested he could take one of the inflatables home after the game against Town.
“Very nice,” the Italian said of the decorations. “I didn’t know the story behind the bananas. I hope [against Town] I can see many bananas in the stadium.
“It creates a nice environment for the fans and everyone who is in the stadium.”
City bought midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Maresca’s former club, Chelsea, for a Premier League record-equaling £125 million in September and the Argentina international was involved in a bizarre incident against PSG when he pushed referee Sven Jablonski over from behind.
The official did not appear to deem the shove intentional and Maresca defended the 25-year-old when a reporter suggested Fernandez has shown a fiery temper in the past.
“It’s just a random moment,” said Maresca, adding that Fernandez was “not even thinking” of acting maliciously. “It was a bit funny.
“He’s a nice person. He has a big heart [and is] polite, professional. Sometimes the image from outside is completely different from the reality.
“He’s a top guy and, first of all, he’s a very nice person. Nice family, mama, dad, wife, kids. I know all of them. That’s why. There’s no doubt about that.”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 15:00 BST (10:00 ET / 07:00 PT). This match is not being shown live in the UK.
Here’s the full list of Premier League international broadcasters.
The table looks like this before the start of the latest round of Premier League matches.
England
| # | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 18 | W W W W W |
| 2 | Arsenal | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 15 | W L W W W |
| 3 | Brighton | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 13 | 13 | W W W D L |
| 4 | Brentford | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 10 | D W D D D |
| 5 | Everton | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | D W D D D |
| 6 | Chelsea | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 10 | W L D L W |
| 7 | Leeds | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 9 | L D W D D |
| 8 | Hull City | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 9 | D L D D W |
| 9 | Liverpool | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | L W D W D |
| 10 | Ipswich | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 9 | W L W L L |
| 11 | Newcastle | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 8 | L W L D W |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 7 | W D L W L |
| 13 | Manchester United | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | D D L D W |
| 14 | Coventry | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 6 | W W L L L |
| 15 | Nottingham Forest | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 5 | L L W D D |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 11 | -5 | 5 | D W L D L |
| 17 | Sunderland | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 4 | L L L D W |
| 18 | Bournemouth | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 | -6 | 3 | L L D D D |
| 19 | Tottenham | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 3 | D L D D L |
| 20 | Fulham | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 2 | L D D L L |
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