​New footage released by Manchester City shows a personal note left for Enzo Maresca in his new office at the City Football Academy by former assistant Pepijn Lijnders. Maresca has taken over as the club’s manager after Pep Guardiola’s departure at the end of the 2025-26 season, marking a homecoming to a club where he previously contributed as a coach during one of the sport’s most successful eras.
Maresca’s ties to City run deep. He previously led the club’s Elite Development Squad and played a key part in the historic 2022-23 treble-winning campaign before leaving to build his managerial reputation at Leicester City and Chelsea. The Italian’s return has been met with warm reception across the club, and it appears that sentiment extends to Guardiola’s former backroom staff.
Lijnders, who served as Guardiola’s assistant last season, left a heartfelt message for Maresca on a whiteboard in the new office. The note read: “Make each day a masterpiece,” followed by a personal farewell: “To Enzo, want to wish you an unbelievable journey coming back to a place full of memories. Hope all goes well! Abraço, Pepijn.” The gesture underscores a sense of continuity and mutual respect within City’s coaching ranks as Maresca steps into his role at the Etihad Stadium, highlighting the belief that his return is a true homecoming rather than a complete break with the past.