Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca is reshaping team preparation by playing loud electronic dance music during training sessions at the Etihad Campus, aiming to lift player moods and build squad harmony as the club navigates a new era following Pep Guardiola’s departure.
Enzo Maresca Introduces Electronic Dance Music at the Etihad Campus
The training sessions at Manchester City now feature high-energy house and electronic dance tracks pulsing from club-branded speakers around the pitch during warm-ups. For a team steeped in the tactical rigor of the Pep Guardiola era, the introduction of a boom, boom, boom soundtrack represents a deliberate shift toward a more relaxed environment.
Manager Enzo Maresca introduced the practice to help players feel happier and perform better on the pitch. While Guardiola often patrolled his technical area with intense visible energy, the 46-year-old Italian manager tends to watch training sessions calmly with his arms folded, letting the music set a different tone before tactical instructions begin. The 46-year-old manager’s team won 1-0 against Manchester United in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday despite Phil Foden’s first-half red card.
Tactical Continuity and Locker Room Reaction Under Maresca
Ruben Dias and Matheus Nunes Discuss Tactical Continuity and Curating Playlists
The auditory change on the training ground has not disrupted the core tactical philosophy established over previous seasons. New team captain Ruben Dias noted in a BBC Sport interview that while Maresca has brought his own ideas regarding pressing and defensive shapes, the fundamentals remain largely consistent with the club’s established identity.
“There’s obviously many things from training sessions to some details about the way we press, details about the way we defend that make all of these Enzo’s idea. It’s still a change, of course. Many things have changed, but in some ways continuity in terms of the way we are playing, and there are details that make it different. But still, all very similar to the way we have always behaved at the club.”
The players themselves have actively participated in curating the training soundtrack. Defender Matheus Nunes embraced the concept before the Porto game.
Scientific Context and Modern Coaching Methods
University of Hanover Study and Methods Used by Scott Parker and Mikel Arteta
The use of rhythm and sound in elite performance settings has backing from sports science. In 2013, academics at the Institute of Sports Science at the University of Hanover in Germany conducted a study supported by Sennheiser, an audio equipment manufacturer, that demonstrated how footballers improved their game when listening to music at a set rhythm through headphones. The researchers set up two five-a-side teams to play 10-minute games against each other, and professional football coaches were enlisted to help analyse the teams’ performances according to recognised criteria including the frequency and accuracy of passes and the successful conclusion of a game, with results showing the team hearing synchronised music played significantly better.
Other managers across professional football have experimented with audio stimuli to condition players for specific matchday environments. Last season, while in charge at Burnley, Scott Parker also played music during warm-ups and ball-work phases of sessions and paused the tunes for tactical sessions. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta tried to prepare his players for a crunch game at Anfield by playing You’ll Never Walk Alone, the emotive track that greets the Liverpool players onto the pitch before games, to help ready them for the atmosphere.
Danny Donachie is a consultant mental performance coach at Burnley and used to be head of medicine at Everton and Aston Villa. He felt Burnley players responded well to the music at training last season, stating that managers like Maresca and Scott Parker are using it in a different way because football can be so serious, robotic, and measured.
Balancing Moods and Matchday Pressures
Manchester City Secures Victories Against Manchester United and Porto
Maresca manages the acoustic environment carefully during sessions. When the Italian wants to convey more complex tactical messages during a session, the music is turned down or stopped.
The approach extends beyond mere entertainment. By giving the squad autonomy over the track selection and maintaining a lighter mood on the training ground, the coaching staff aims to sustain high morale through a demanding competitive calendar.
“There are days when the players with music are happier and can work better. The players decide (the songs). It’s just to create more of an environment for them.”
As Manchester City continues its campaign across domestic and European fixtures, the early results of Maresca’s methods suggest a smooth transition. Following a hard-fought victory in the Manchester derby and a subsequent 2-0 Champions League win against Porto, the tactical tweaks and training-ground atmosphere adjustments appear to be yielding stability on the pitch.
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