On August 23 at 9:00 PM CEST, Manchester City will host Burnley in the opening match of the new Premier League season. After the media blackout period ended, Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca held a press conference where he revealed some key insights about the club and the squad.

Enzo, good morning. In previous interviews, you mentioned the club's ambitions and the need to compete immediately. Have you discussed specific targets and what constitutes a successful season with the club's management? What are the club's expectations, and what exactly does the club require from you at the start of the season?

We haven't set specific targets regarding trophies yet. From day one, I've been clear with the club and players about my objectives. We want to compete, to remain competitive through March and April, and then we'll see what happens. That's been consistent from the beginning.

It's clear that you've spoken extensively about transfers in the past, and people frequently ask me how many new players you need to bring in. However, it seems the squad still has some gaps. We know that early transfers were difficult due to the World Cup's impact, but now with the new season starting on Sunday, it appears there are still some vacancies in the squad, with more departures than arrivals so far. How do you feel about this situation as we head into the new season?

I think this is a common feeling for most clubs, though not all. Some clubs manage to complete all their contract negotiations and agreements either early in the transfer window or at the end of the previous season. However, I believe most clubs are in a similar situation currently.

There are only 10 days left until the transfer window closes. So we hope to successfully complete what we need to do in these final 10 days. It's undeniable that some players have expressed a desire to leave for various reasons. This is certainly not ideal during pre-season preparation, but we must adapt. What's certain is that we have no intention of forcing any player to stay who doesn't want to be here.

From what we can see publicly, many players have departed this week and there hasn't been much activity in terms of new signings. Fans may be concerned that there won't be enough time to bring in new players. However, you have more inside information than we do. With 10 days left until the transfer window closes, how confident are you that everything will work out and that the situation is under control?

I want to emphasize that the current situation is very similar for all clubs and all supporters. Everyone is waiting anxiously for final transfers to happen. During the transfer period, you typically remain patient and wait until the final week, because all clubs try to hold onto players to sell them at higher prices if possible. This is very normal in business and actually standard practice. So I'm not worried at all. Once the transfer window officially closes and we have our complete final squad list, the situation will certainly look very different.

To clarify, as a manager, much of your work involves constantly solving various emergency situations. But when you lose a player like Rodri, widely considered among the world's best, how do you solve this problem? Do you bring in one or two replacement players, or does this create an additional new challenge for you?

Now we must try to find a "new Rodri." When Rodri first arrived here, you know he hadn't won the Ballon d'Or, the Champions League, or the Club World Cup. What he did was come to the club and achieve great things through his hard work and effort. So now our goal is to find and develop a "new Rodri."

Last night, thinking about this, I recalled many past examples. When David Silva was here and left, everyone was worried, but then Kevin (De Bruyne) arrived. When Agüero was here and eventually left, everyone was concerned, but then Erling (Haaland) came. When Fernandinho left, Rodri arrived.

These things cycle through. When great players depart, you need to prepare to bring in replacements from the transfer market. But these processes are actually quite similar. Whether it's David and Kevin, Fernandinho and Rodri, or Agüero and Erling. Last night I actually thought of another example, but I've forgotten the name. However, I spent all night thinking about this. It's completely normal—it's a continuous evolution, a constant change. It's not an insurmountable problem. We simply start over and continue doing things right.

As a manager, do you follow a philosophy that if a player decides to leave the club, you won't force them to stay, no matter how good or important they are?

Absolutely. Because if a player is unhappy or dissatisfied at the club, they won't be able to perform at the right level with the proper competitive intensity on the pitch.

Enzo, hello. After the recent loss to Arsenal, what was the players' reaction?

Their reaction was excellent. It was both a positive and normal reaction. Because disappointment and frustration after a defeat are natural human emotions. Right after the match ended, we were all very disappointed. That's normal. We wanted to win but didn't. So this disappointment is completely understandable.

However, since Saturday, we've restarted our daily training sessions and work, and we've begun full preparations for Burnley. You must set aside the disappointment from the last match and focus all your energy on the upcoming one. So we've been down for two days, but now our focus must be entirely on Burnley.

So how does it feel to work with these players? It's clear that while they're familiar with Guardiola's long-term approach, they now face a completely new coaching staff and management structure under you. They'll want to impress you and your staff, so they must be highly motivated right now.

Yes, absolutely. Their work ethic is excellent. Their training performance is outstanding. As I've said many times in first-team press conferences, from the very first day I arrived, the players' training attitude and behavior have been faultless. At the same time, as you said, after working with just one person for many years, when you suddenly face a major change—you have to change old habits, change everything—it's not easy to adapt and understand immediately.

It's like an actor who worked with just one director for 10 years. Then suddenly the director changes. As an actor, my thought patterns and habits from working with the previous director might unconsciously remain. But now the director is completely new, so I must adapt and align myself. This is complicated and not straightforward. That's why I want to emphasize we need to view this as a special circumstance. It's not an advantage for us, but it will take some time. Regardless, we must be ready to compete as soon as possible.

You previously mentioned competing in four different competitions. In your own first-team squad plan, how many players do you want to retain for the first team?

I think that three or four young academy players impressed me so much during pre-season that they'll continue with us in the first team. These young players are Caden (Braithwaite), Samba, and Ryan McAdoo. They'll stay with us. As for myself, I believe we need between 21 and 22 players. That means approximately 20 experienced first-team players combined with three talented, enthusiastic young stars. We're very satisfied and pleased with this composition.

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