‘He is a perfect one’ - Gvardiol backs Maresca to succeed at Manchester City

The Italian faces the formidable challenge of succeeding Guardiola, who stepped down at the end of last season after a decade of unprecedented success. 

Maresca, who previously guided Leicester City to the Championship title and won the Club World Cup with Chelsea, has signed a three-year contract with the Premier League giants.

With the departure of key figures like Bernardo Silva to Real Madrid and John Stones to Inter, Manchester City is entering a new phase. 

Maresca's tenure began with a friendly match in Hong Kong, where City were defeated on penalties by Inter Milan. 

Despite the result, Gvardiol expressed confidence in the new manager's abilities. "The level is that high, and he has been chosen with reason as the manager," Gvardiol stated. 

"I think he has quality, has some new ideas, and we also need to see what we are going to do with the style of play, the football we are going to play, and the tactics."

The Croatian international acknowledged that adjusting to a new coach will be a process. "I think he is a perfect one, but of course, it takes time. 

“It's something totally new; it's not easy to change the manager, so we will take time," he added.

"It's our job to help him as much as possible and also to listen to try to adapt as quickly as possible."