Maresca: Haaland Becoming a Father Has Made Him a More Responsible Man

Ahead of Manchester City's away match against Porto in the first round of the Champions League league phase, City head coach Enzo Maresca gave an interview to Sky Sport Italia.

In order to try to leave your own mark on this team, or to continue the work previously done by Guardiola, what specific areas do you think you need to spend more time on, focus on, and pay more attention to?

But in reality, I am just trying to repeat what I did before at Leicester City and what I later did at Chelsea. So, I am continuing to stick to the football ideas and principles that I believe in. Of course, logically speaking, my coaching experience at Leicester City and my time at Chelsea will inevitably lead me to adjust and modify certain details and aspects. For the parts that did not work as well in practice, you try to improve and optimize them; for the parts that have worked very well, you still try to keep refining them.

As for what I need to work on, this is how I have imagined it in my mind: I went to a team that needed me to start from zero and carry out daily work in the same way I have done before. Therefore, I have simply done what I have always done. I repeat, although I have made some very small adjustments, there is essentially no difference.

Erling Haaland has always been able to score goals; he is practically a goal-scoring machine. However, he did not score in the first league match of this season, which was an exception. Perhaps it was because you once said that if someone became captain, he would have to come and speak with you personally rather than celebrating without distinction. Considering that fewer players remain compared with the team that won the treble, how much responsibility do you think this young player is carrying now? From the perspective of his personality, leadership qualities, and presence in the dressing room, do you also feel that he has become more mature?

Yes, he joined in the year when the team won the treble, and at that time he was still a very young player. Of course, he is still young now, but he has also become a father, so he has matured and become a more responsible man, a real family man.

At the same time, he is now one of the team's captains, so he certainly carries more responsibility. As you said, compared with three or four years ago when I was here, only around three or four players from that group remain in the squad, and he is one of those who stayed. Therefore, in terms of his personality and leadership qualities, he needs to take another step forward and continue improving.

The final question is about Francesco Farioli. You will face him tomorrow, and he is only 37 years old. This will also be his Champions League coaching debut. First, what does it mean to you to see a young coach of Farioli's age reaching such a top stage? Secondly, seeing such a young coach — while you yourself are also very young — with both of you gaining excellent coaching experiences abroad, developing overseas, and now competing together on one of the biggest international stages in Europe and the world, how wonderful is that? I do not know whether this also means something for the Italian national team or the domestic football environment, meaning that perhaps the average age of head coaches in Italy is relatively higher. In any case, what is your view of Farioli? Also, how do you view and understand the role of overseas coaching experiences in developing managers? To what extent have these experiences shaped and trained you, and accelerated the preparation and growth of coaches like yourselves?

Regarding Francesco Farioli, I must offer him my warmest congratulations, because he has done very, very well both in his previous coaching positions and here. His team plays very good football in possession and is also very aggressive when it loses possession. So, congratulations to him, truly.

As for whether coaching abroad can help someone grow more, I believe it can. But I think this does not only apply to Italian coaches; it is also true for coaches from other countries. For example, if you ask a Spanish head coach working in England, he would certainly express exactly the same view. I believe working abroad will always bring great challenges, growth, and maturity because you are in a completely new environment that is not your own country.

As for whether coaches in Italy are slightly older on average or tend to be at a more advanced age, I do not know. I really cannot say.