Ruben: Maresca’s Coaching Has Many Similarities to Guardiola’s Era, Only the Details Differ

At 22:00 Beijing time tonight, Manchester City will host Coventry in the third round of the Premier League. Before the match, Ruben Dias said in an interview with the club’s official media that Maresca’s Manchester City has many similarities to the Guardiola era, with differences only in the details.

How do you view the start of the new season?

“Very positive. Obviously, many things have changed, but in the end, the changes are not that big. The team has been injected with new energy, and we feel very good. Enzo has his own ideas about the game, including both attack and defense.”

“Overall, it is still the style of play we are familiar with, but there are some differences in details during different phases. I think everyone fully recognizes this approach. We have often controlled possession, which has always been one of our main characteristics. From this perspective, I think it is a continuation, although we are not exactly the same.”

Manchester City experienced frequent player movement during this summer’s transfer window, and the squad has therefore become completely different this season.

“This is part of the environment we are in. New players keep coming in and others keep leaving. Maybe this summer was the one with the most departures. Looking back over the past three years, there have been many changes. This is a cycle.”

“Every new arrival has their own reason, and the reason we came here originally was the same: to win and reach the top. We have to try to achieve as much as possible. It is exciting, and I am very happy to be part of it again.”

You have always been one of Manchester City’s leaders, and now you are also one of the longest-serving players in the squad.

“You have to enjoy it while you can, because this is the best thing in the world. This is the experience built from going through so much and winning so much together with everyone. It means you know what it takes to win and what level of consistency you need to maintain every day.”

“It is about ambition, how much you want victory, and how much sacrifice you are willing to make for it. It is about your discipline, understanding the manager’s message, doing what we have to do, and recognizing what can help you win.”

“When you do these things, everyone truly becomes united. Besides experience, these simple qualities can also make you a winner. That makes me feel very good because I understand the timeline of football very clearly—it goes by so quickly. I am now at a stage where I appreciate and enjoy every moment of stepping onto the pitch and playing football at this level.”

“I know very clearly how special this is, so every time I play, I bring this feeling onto the pitch. My career is at a very good stage. I enjoy football, enjoy every moment, and absorb all of this.”

“During pre-season, I felt that we were building something. At that time, everyone had not fully arrived yet, so we could only train as a team as much as possible, allowing everyone to accept the same ideas. The Community Shield was difficult for us, and we were facing one of our main opponents at that moment.”

“That match was difficult, but at the same time, we did not panic. We maintained our approach and continued to believe in what we were doing. It even helped us pass on experience at that moment. Obviously, it was a bad moment. We did not like it, it was difficult, and it was frustrating, but we had to continue working hard in training.”

“Then we started the Premier League. The first match was very difficult, but after the game I watched it back and felt that we were truly on the pitch and delivered quite a good performance. There were certainly areas where we could improve, but I think we were strong and threatening.”

“Maybe the second match was a continuation of the feelings from the first one, but I think what we are building is very solid, and it is progressing little by little in a very stable way. I strongly believe in what we are doing, and we have gathered high-quality players around us again. As long as the mentality is right and the condition is good, anything is possible.”