Pep Guardiola left Manchester City at the end of last season after ten amazing years. During his time there, he won the Premier League seven times, plus the Champions League and lots of other trophies.
Now it's Enzo Maresca's turn to lead the team. The good news? Maresca actually used to work at Manchester City before, as one of Guardiola's assistant coaches. He was officially confirmed as the new manager on 29 June. Taking over from someone like Guardiola is tough, but let's hope Maresca has clear plans for how he wants City to play.
How did last season go?
Last season was up and down for City. They lost the Premier League title to Arsenal, which must have hurt after winning it so many times. However, they did win both domestic cup competitions, so their trophy collection still looks good.
The Champions League was disappointing though. City lost to Real Madrid early in the knockout round, so that didn't go as planned.
Who left the club?
TThis summer, several big players walked away. Bernardo Silva, who was brilliant for City for years, moved to Real Madrid. Long-time defender John Stones also left. Nathan Ake went to Fenerbahce after not playing much. There's also been talk about midfielder Rodri possibly leaving, though nothing is final yet. These losses show City is ready to make big changes under the new manager.
Who has City signed?
City have already broken their transfer record this summer. Midfielder Elliot Anderson has joined from Nottingham Forest for a reported £116 million. That is the most City have ever paid for a player, which shows how much they rate him.
Expect more incoming transfers as pre-season continues, especially in defence and midfield, where the club has lost some experienced faces.
What has pre-season looked like so far?
City's build-up to the new season has been shaped heavily by the World Cup. Several key players, including Erling Haaland, Rodri and Jérémy Doku, were involved deep into the tournament. That means they returned to training later than usual, and Maresca has had less time with his full squad than he would like.
The club has also been on a pre-season tour of Asia, playing matches in Hong Kong, China and South Korea. Their opening game of the tour was against Italian champions Inter Milan in Hong Kong on 1 August.
What can fans expect this season?
Manchester City are still one of the biggest clubs in world football, with plenty of quality across the squad. But this season carries real uncertainty. A new manager, several important departures, and a squad still finding its feet all add up to a genuine period of change.
Maresca will want to bring back some of the control and consistency City are known for, while also putting his own stamp on how the team plays. Early results in pre-season and the opening weeks of the season will tell us a lot about how smoothly that transition is going.
Conclusion
As you can see, This is not a normal season for Manchester City. It's the first year without Guardiola, and nobody knows for sure what will happen. What we do know is that City has the money, the drive, and good players to be competitive again.
But can they fight for the Premier League title right away with a new manager? That's the big question everyone will be watching from day one.