9 New Managers in the English Premier League

Nine clubs will begin the new English Premier League season tomorrow, Friday, with Arsenal, winners of the last edition, facing newly promoted Coventry City. They will do so under new managers, but none will face the pressure confronting Italians Enzo Maresca and Spaniards Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso at Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, respectively.

The league has not seen such a high degree of managerial change before the start of a season since 1946-47, the first campaign after the Second World War.

This wave of changes means Manchester United manager Michael Carrick, who arrived at Old Trafford only in January, is the tenth longest-serving manager currently in the league in terms of tenure. Agence France-Presse reviews the three most significant appointments.

Maresca: 'Return to the Homeland'

Maresca, 46, described his appointment as Manchester City manager as a "return to the homeland," but he is already facing pressure following a very poor start to the arduous task of succeeding Spaniard Pep Guardiola, who won 20 trophies during a golden decade at the club.

Maresca is well acquainted with the club's corridors, having managed the under-23 team during the 2020-21 season before returning in 2022-23 as one of Guardiola's assistants. During that period, he contributed to the team winning the domestic treble of the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League, before embarking on his first head coaching role with Leicester City in the second tier (Championship), guiding them back to the top flight before moving to Chelsea. There, he won the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup during a turbulent 18-month stint. However, a lackluster performance in a 3-0 defeat to league champions Arsenal in last Sunday's Community Shield quickly cast shadows over Maresca's future.

Iraola enjoys Liverpool's 'magic'

Iraola, 44, told Liverpool fans, "I deserve to be one of you," after replacing Dutchman Arne Slot at Anfield. Slot was dismissed after just 12 months, having led the team to equalling the record of 20 league titles, following a worrying decline in results last season.

The Spaniard, signed for his tactical acumen, is expected to steer Liverpool back to the attacking style of play the club became famous for under the beloved German manager Jurgen Klopp. Iraola has drawn attention for his work with Bournemouth, where he improved the club's league standing over the three seasons he spent there.

Iraola spoke of the "magic" of managing Liverpool at his first press conference, but he is well aware that he has taken a significant step forward and that the pressures will be entirely different from anything he has faced so far.

Alonso to prove himself at Chelsea

Alonso, 44, was long linked with Liverpool, where he won the Champions League as a player, but fate led him to Chelsea to succeed Maresca after a chaotic season.

His true breakthrough as a manager came in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the team to a historic domestic double without defeat in the 2023-24 season. This earned him the opportunity to take charge of his former club, Real Madrid, but his stint at the Santiago Bernabeu deteriorated rapidly, and he left the club in January after less than eight months in charge. Alonso admitted that his early departure from Real Madrid left a "scar," but he confirmed it has now healed as he looks forward to a new chapter.

The Blues struggled to finish the previous season in 10th place, prompting the club to be active in the transfer market, notably by signing Morgan Rogers in a deal that made him the most expensive British player in history. The absence of European competition may give Alonso valuable time to build a squad according to his own vision.