City's plan to conquer Europe: Maresca announces surprise squad for UCL

“Manchester City” club has officially submitted its final 23-man A-list squad for the opening stage of the new, revolutionary UEFA Champions League season. Head coach Enzo Maresca has implemented his strategy for the complex chain of matches in the competition's new format, aiming for maximum success in Europe's most prestigious tournament. The absence of certain key figures and the appearance of unexpected new names are sparking heated discussions among fans.

Eight clashes and a dramatic return to Camp Nou

According to the new format, the “Citizens” will play a total of eight matches in the opening stage. Four games will be held in Manchester, and four will be away. The European campaign starts this month with a trip to Portugal to face Porto. Following this difficult away game, the Etihad Stadium will host two consecutive big matches: reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain and Greek club AEK Athens will visit Manchester.

One of the most intriguing and dramatic matches on the calendar will take place after testing their strength against RB Leipzig in Germany and Napoli, where Kevin De Bruyne plays. This is the match against Barcelona. Notably, the Spanish midfielder Rodri, who left “Manchester City” this summer, will now face his former club at Camp Nou. The squad also includes Lens, who signed Abdukodir Khusanov, and a final January match against Sporting.

Official A-list for UCL (23 players):

On the eve of the competition, the club submitted the following 23-man A-list to UEFA:

• Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marcus Bettinelli, Gerónimo Rulli, Max-Edgar Chabo.

• Defenders: Rúben Dias, Marc Guéhi, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Vitor Reis, Joško Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov, Rico Lewis.

• Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Mateo Kovačić, Rayan Cherki, Jérémy Doku, Enzo Fernández, Matheus Nunes, Ayoub Bouaddi, Phil Foden.

• Forwards: Iliman Ndiaye, Erling Haaland, Allan Elias, Antoine Semenyo.

New goalkeepers, the return of Vitor Reis, and the French intrigue

Major changes were observed in the goalkeeping line of the announced squad. Gerónimo Rulli replaced James Trafford, while the inclusion of 18-year-old Max-Edgar Chabo in the A-list was a real surprise. According to reports, the young keeper was bought from French club Angers in the summer, and the club's management had considered loaning him out. Nevertheless, Maresca deemed him worthy of one of the 16 spots reserved for foreign players. Along with him, new members Enzo Fernández, Allan Elias, Iliman Ndiaye, and others were included.

In the defensive line, the return of Brazilian Vitor Reis to the main squad is noteworthy. He spent the 2025/26 season on loan at La Liga side Girona, which is part of the City Football Group.

Where are Nico O'Reilly and Ryan McAidoo? The secret of List B revealed

The absence of important young players like Nico O'Reilly and Ryan McAidoo among the 23 players on the A-list raised many questions. However, as the Manchester Evening News reported, this does not mean they cannot participate in the competition. According to UEFA rules, players who are 21 or younger and have been with the club for at least two years can be included in the competition squad via List B.

O'Reilly and McAidoo were listed on this B-list. Since Maresca did not fill all four spots reserved for club-trained players, he registered 23 players instead of 25 on the A-list, but the possibility of strengthening the team's reserves via the B-list remains.

Do you think this 23-man A-list chosen by Enzo Maresca will allow Manchester City to win the Champions League in the new format? What do you think about the changes in the goalkeeping line and Rodri playing against City for Barcelona? Leave your thoughts in the comments!