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Man City confirm Maresca's backroom team after Guardiola exit

ยทBy Paul Lindisfarne
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Man City confirm Maresca's backroom team after Guardiola exit

Manchester City

Manchester City have confirmed the coaching staff who will work under new manager Enzo Maresca, with seven appointments announced as the Italian succeeds Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

Roberto Vitiello, Willy Caballero, Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, Marcos Alvarez, Denis Silva and Javier Molina will all join Maresca's backroom team, while set-piece coach James French and goalkeeping coach Richard Wright continue in the roles they held last season. Maresca was announced as Manchester City's new manager on 29 June after signing a three-year contract.

Vitiello, who played alongside Maresca at Palermo before starting his coaching career at Fiorentina, becomes the new assistant manager, having previously worked with Maresca at Parma, Leicester and Chelsea.

Caballero returns to the club where he made 48 appearances as a goalkeeper and famously starred in the penalty shootout that won the 2013-14 League Cup, taking up a first-team coaching role after previously playing alongside Maresca at Malaga under former City boss Manuel Pellegrini.

Fellow first-team coach Walker is another familiar face, having worked in City's academy before following Maresca to Leicester and Chelsea.

Completing the backroom team, De Bernardin becomes head of goalkeeping, Alvarez takes up the fitness coach role, Silva joins as a first-team coach and Molina becomes the club's new analyst. All have worked with Maresca previously across his various coaching posts, giving him a settled and familiar support structure as he begins the task of rebuilding City's squad following Guardiola's departure.

Maresca returns to Manchester for a third spell at the club, having previously worked there as a player and coach earlier in his career, before spells in charge at Parma, Leicester City and Chelsea.

He won two major trophies during an 18-month tenure at Stamford Bridge before leaving for the City job, with Chelsea receiving compensation of around ยฃ17m from both City and Maresca as part of the exit.

Director of football Hugo Viana has been closely involved in the wider staffing decisions this summer, with the confirmation of the backroom team marking an important step in City's preparations under their new head coach.