At 21:00 Beijing time (CEST) on August 23rd, Manchester City will host Bournemouth in the opening match of the new Premier League season. After the media embargo ended, excerpts from Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca's pre-match press conference were released.

Hello Enzo, you've just spoken about taking over the club and the team, mentioning that you need to start winning immediately, and so on. When you communicated with the club's management about the objectives for this season and what constitutes a successful season, did you have those conversations in those terms? Do these goals refer to winning trophies, league position, or overall team performance? How do they see this, and what are the specific demands the club has for you at the start of the season?

We haven't set specific goals in terms of winning trophies. From day one, my objective, the club's objective, and the players' objective have always been very clear: to compete and strive to remain competitive in March—that is, in March and April—and then we'll see what happens next.

Clearly, you've spoken extensively about transfers before, and I'm often asked about transfers and how many new players still need to be brought into the squad. But as it stands, do you feel the team still lacks something? Because of the World Cup's impact, it's difficult to complete transfers very early in the window, but with the new season starting this week, there are clearly some gaps in the squad, and currently, it seems more players are leaving than arriving. What's your take on this heading into the new season?

I think this is a common feeling for most clubs, though not all, because some clubs might prefer to complete all their recruitment and transfers early in the window, or even at the end of the previous season. But I believe most clubs are currently in virtually the same situation.

There are 10 days left until the transfer window closes, and I hope that in these final 10 days, we can successfully complete what we need to do. It's undeniable that, for various reasons, some players have expressed a desire to leave, which certainly doesn't help the team during pre-season. There's no doubt about that, but we must adapt. And we absolutely don't want to force players who don't want to stay to remain here; that's certain.

From a public perspective alone, a large number of players have left in the last week, with not much movement in terms of new recruits. I think fans might feel a bit anxious and worried about this, wondering whether there's enough time left for you and the team to bring in reinforcements. But how confident are you? Because you certainly have more information from inside than we have from outside. How confident and calm are you that everything is still on track and that the situation won't look as worrying as it does now when the transfer window closes in 10 days?

I want to emphasize again that the current situation is actually very similar for all clubs and all their fans, because everyone is anxiously waiting to complete their transfer moves. During the transfer window, the most common scenario is that you often have to wait until the final week, because all clubs will try to hold onto their players until the last week to sell them at a higher price. This is very normal in commercial operations, truly very normal. So I'm not worried about it at all. When the transfer window officially closes and we have our complete final squad, the situation will definitely look very different.

Clearly, as a manager, most of your work is constantly resolving various unexpected problems. But when you lose a player like Rodri, who could be argued is the best in the world at his position, how do you actually solve that problem? I mean, is it by bringing in one new player, two new players, or does this itself present you with a kind of extra challenge?

Well, now we have to try to find the next "Rodri." You know, when Rodri first arrived here, he hadn't won the Ballon d'Or, he hadn't won the Champions League, nor the FIFA Club World Cup. After he joined the club, he went on to achieve so many important and great things through his hard work. So now, our objective is to try to find and develop the "next Rodri."

I was thinking about this last night, and I remembered many things from the past: when David Silva was here, everyone was anxious when he left, and then Kevin (De Bruyne) arrived; when Aguero was here and eventually left, everyone was worried too, and then Erling (Haaland) arrived; when Fernandinho left, Rodri joined.

Things cycle like this. When great players leave, you need to be prepared to recruit their replacement in the transfer market. But these processes are actually very similar, whether it's David and Kevin, or Fernandinho and Rodri, or Aguero and Erling. In fact, last night I was thinking of someone else, but I suddenly forgot their name, though I was pondering it all night. This is very normal; it's a kind of succession, a transition. It's not an insurmountable problem; start fresh and keep doing the right things.

As a manager, is your coaching principle that if a player decides they want to leave, no matter how good or important they are, you won't forcibly stop them?

Of course, because if a player is unhappy or dissatisfied at the club, they won't be able to show the correct and proper attitude and performance on the pitch.

Hello Enzo, after losing to Arsenal in the last match, what was the players' reaction?

Their reaction was very good... I mean, the reaction was good and natural, because it's human nature to feel sad and frustrated after losing a match. When the match ended, we were all very frustrated. It's normal; we wanted to win but ultimately didn't, so this low reaction is very understandable.

However, from Tuesday onwards, we've been back in training and our daily work, fully preparing for the match against Bournemouth. You have to learn to temporarily set aside the disappointment from the last match and try to focus all your energy on the upcoming one. So, we had two days to reflect on the loss, and now, our focus must be entirely on Bournemouth.

So, how do you feel about working with these players? Because clearly they're very accustomed to Guardiola's long tenure, but I imagine, facing a completely new coaching staff and main management, they must be quite motivated now, wanting to impress you and your coaching team...

Yes, their work ethic is very good, and their training performance is excellent. I've already told you many times in the main team press conferences that from the day I arrived here, the players' attitude and training behavior have been impeccable. At the same time, as you say, if you work with the same people every day, and then after years you suddenly face a complete change—to break old habits, to change everything—that's not something that's easy to adjust to and digest immediately.

It's like I'm an actor who has worked with the same director for 10 years, but suddenly the director changes. As an actor, my way of thinking and habits might unconsciously remain in the mode of working with the previous director. But now the director is completely new, so I have to work hard to change and adapt. It's complex, not simple, which is why I emphasize that it needs to be viewed in context. It's not an excuse for us at all, but it does take time. Nevertheless, we must be ready to compete as soon as possible.

You previously mentioned competing across four different competitions. In your personal squad planning for the main team, how large a squad do you prefer to maintain?

I think, because three or four young academy players impressed me greatly during pre-season, they will choose to stay with us in the main team. These young players are Caden (Braithwaite), Samba, and Rio McAdoo. They will be with us. Personally, I believe we need 21 to 22 players. That is, around 20 mature first-team players, plus these three dynamic and enthusiastic young prospects. We're very pleased and happy with this.

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