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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has shared some thoughts on Man City's Pep Guardiola ahead of the Premier League's return this weekend.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has claimed Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is not a manager, but a genius who stands out from the rest.
Maresca had the privilege of working under Guardiola at Manchester City for two years and faced him in the opening game of the season at Stamford Bridge where the champions ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.
Speaking after that game, Maresca shared his admiration for Guardiola, saying:
"I worked under [Carlo] Ancelotti as a player, [Marcello] Lippi as a player, [Manuel] Pellegrini as a player, and then I worked with Pep for two seasons at Manchester City. I try to take things from all of them and create my own box to put everything inside."
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Maresca's words highlighted his deep respect for Guardiola, as he added:
"I don't consider Pep a manager, I consider him a genius because he is ahead of the rest. When you are with him and close, you try to see things and learn to create your idea [as a coach]."
Chelsea have improved since that opening weekend defeat to City, winning one and drawing one of their two games since.
The likes of Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, and others are beginning to gel and despite the club missing out on signing Victor Osimhen on deadline day, there is a belief that Maresca is the right man to steady the ship.
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