Who dares to succeed Guardiola? Maresca reveals the behind-the-scenes of the impossible mission

Maresca said: "After 10 games, whether we get 10 points, 20 or 30 points, people will compare our results to what Pep achieved after 10 games. But this does not put any pressure on me."

He added: "I have said this time and again, whether during my work at Leicester City or Chelsea, Pep is the best coach in the world over the past 15 or 20 years."

The Italian continued: "When he started his career in Spain, everyone wanted to play in Barcelona's style, and when he moved to Germany, everyone wanted to play like Bayern Munich, and now he has come to England and everyone wants to play like Manchester City."

Speaking in remarks reported by "BBC Sport", he went on: "Someone asked me whether the task of succeeding him is impossible. Perhaps it is, but at the same time it is a great privilege."

Maresca, the former Chelsea manager, met Guardiola in Barcelona just a day before officially signing to succeed him, tapping into the experience and vision built up over his long years inside the club.

"We spent a few hours together," he explained. "Before the end of the season here, we had planned to spend some time together during the summer break."

He added: "Sometimes I like to start with a clear mind, without preconceived ideas, so that I can see things for myself. It is true that Pep spent a long time here and has his own opinions, but you have to come and see things for yourself, then form a complete picture of the situation."

Wanting a tangible change, Maresca moved into the office of Guardiola's former assistant, Pep Lijnders, at the club's headquarters. It sits next to Guardiola's old office, now turned into a meeting room.

Not long after taking the Manchester City job in late June, Maresca apologised to his former club Chelsea for the "disruption" his mid-season exit had caused.

So how did he fill the six months before he took charge at City? Family came first. Speaking of his wife and four children, Maresca says: "I tried to enjoy spending a little more time with the family."

He added: "Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence, so I wanted to understand how it works. I attended two specialised training sessions (master classes) to understand it better and gain more knowledge about it."

Artificial intelligence now shapes more of daily life than ever, and Premier League managers have started to probe its potential too, hunting for the small details that could make the difference.

Maresca knows City will demand far more than a reliance on AI, though. He takes on the job as successor to one of the greatest managers of his generation.

Maresca reckons the biggest change in the Premier League over the past three years, compared with his time as Guardiola's assistant, is the growing reliance on set pieces and the spread of man-to-man defending.

Arsenal ended a wait of more than two decades to win the Premier League title last season, scoring 25 goals from set pieces. Corners alone accounted for 19 of them, an area Manchester City want to "try to improve".

New rules arrive next season to speed the game up. Players will get just five seconds to take goal kicks and throw-ins, and any delay hands the ball to the opposition.

Cluttered penalty areas and the physical scraps at corners might suggest the technical side has slipped. Maresca still rates the Premier League as the "best league" in the world, and one packed with "the best players".

He said: "It comes down to the quality of the players, the competence of the coaches, and the outstanding organisation of the Premier League. Everything is completely different compared with the leagues in other countries."

He added: "Which league can compete with the Premier League? Spain? Yes, there are Barcelona and Real Madrid, but the rest of the teams do not match this level. Here, though, we have six teams all competing at almost the highest levels."

Maresca revealed that he did not perform an introductory or welcome song in front of the players, explaining simply: "The manager doesn't sing."

He described the performance of goalkeeping coach Michele De Bernardin as "very good", while judging analyst Javi Molina the worst for his rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way".

Laughing, he said: "Honestly, it was a disaster."

Maresca's coaching staff includes the Argentine Willy Caballero, two Italians and three Spaniards. The manager speaks French too, handing the backroom team real linguistic diversity.

Then there is the "Englishman" Danny Walker, the first-team coach. He previously worked as Maresca's assistant in the Elite Development Squad (EDS) at Manchester City before following him to Leicester City and Chelsea.

Talk of Walker brings a smile to Maresca's face. "When we go for breakfast, we order beans with toast, and when we go for dinner, we have a beer," he said.

"When I joined the Elite Development Squad, Danny was there. He had previously worked with the under-16 team, then he was moved to be my assistant. And ever since then we have always been together," he added.

He continued: "He knows Nico O'Reilly and Rico Lewis well, having overseen them from under-6 through to under-12 level. He knows them all."

"He's very good, and he excels at overseeing the extra training at the end of the session, when we ask the players to do additional exercises," he said.

He concluded: "It's a job that requires a lot of effort. If we don't win our matches, we'll all be going back home."

Maresca will handpick Manchester City's next captain after Bernardo Silva's departure, and he wants an academy graduate in the leadership group too.

That group already features Ruben Dias, the frontrunner for the armband, along with Erling Haaland and Rodri, who is angling for a move to Barcelona.

Could the Norwegian striker lead the line as skipper? "Erling was one of the first players to send me a welcome message when I joined the club," said Maresca.

He added: "At Leicester City and Chelsea, I had a rule that when we scored a goal, the captain had to come over to the bench, not to celebrate, but to receive instructions. And if he was the one who scored the goal, then he could celebrate."

Then came the joke. "If Erling becomes the captain, we'll have a problem. Can you imagine that? If you watched the match against the Korean league all-star team on Wednesday, you'll have noticed that Ruben went over to the bench after scoring the first goal."

He explained: "I think that even if it's only a matter of two or three minutes, there's always something that needs adjusting. At the moment, we have three or four players in the leadership group, and we're missing one player. As for Rodri's situation, we'll see what happens."

Naming a new captain, resolving Rodri's future and picking the side to face Arsenal in Sunday's Community Shield: these are the big calls facing Maresca as he settles into the job.

Guardiola's weighty legacy hangs over him. Add the drive to develop the team's style and a squad packed with stars, and Maresca is easing into one of the biggest and toughest jobs in football.