Goodbye Parejo: the midfield maestro Villarreal let slip away

There are managers who win trophies. And there are managers who change a club's history. Pep Guardiola did both at Manchester City over 10 seasons that Manchester will never forget.

The numbers are savage: 20 official trophies, including 6 Premier Leagues, 1 Champions League, 3 FA Cups and 5 Carabao Cups. But numbers don't tell the whole story. Guardiola arrived at a club that was already loaded and turned it into a football academy. Haaland banging in 50 goals in one season. De Bruyne rewriting the playmaker's manual. A 6-3 hammering of United that'll live rent-free in everyone's head forever.

So what's next? Enzo Maresca, confirmed by Fabrizio Romano with a full verbal agreement and a three-year deal locked in. The 46-year-old Italian knows the place inside out: he was Guardiola's assistant during the treble season (2022/23) and then managed Leicester City. Last season he coached Chelsea, winning the Club World Cup with them. He's no stranger. He's someone who learned from Guardiola and has his own football philosophy.

Maresca's challenge is inheriting an institution without the man who built it. It's like being the director who replaces Spielberg mid-saga. The squad is quality. The pressure, absolutely massive.

And Pep? The talk is a national team job—Italy's looking spicy, what with them missing the World Cup—or a sabbatical. With Guardiola, you never know. And that in itself is a show worth watching.

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