Marc Guiu Identifies ‘Pep Guardiola Influence’ on Enzo Maresca as He Commits to Chelsea’s ‘Incredible Project’ Over Barcelona

A Young Striker at a Crossroads

For any young player raised in Barcelona’s legendary La Masia academy, the dream has always been the same: break into the first team, follow in the footsteps of legends like Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi, and carve out a career under the lights of the Camp Nou. For Marc Guiu, that dream briefly came true. The 19-year-old forward scored on his La Liga debut, found the net again in just his second Champions League outing, and looked to be the next jewel polished by La Masia.

But football is rarely that simple. Despite his impressive start, Guiu found himself facing a crowded frontline at Barcelona. With competition for minutes fierce and no guaranteed path to a first-team contract, the young striker made a decision that stunned many back in Catalunya — he chose to leave Barcelona for Chelsea.

“I don’t regret leaving Barça,” Guiu admitted in a recent interview with RAC1. “I left because I thought it was the best thing for my career, and now I have to enjoy the Premier League.”

It was a gamble, no doubt. Leaving the familiarity of home, the club that raised him, for a project that has its own reputation for instability. Chelsea, after all, are known for stockpiling young talent and operating with a bloated squad. Yet, for Guiu, the decision wasn’t rash — it was calculated. And the influence of one man in particular, Enzo Maresca, proved decisive.

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The Pep Guardiola Influence

When asked about why he placed his trust in Chelsea, Guiu highlighted something that few would have predicted a decade ago: the “Pep Guardiola influence” on Enzo Maresca.

Maresca, Chelsea’s head coach, may not have Guardiola’s trophy haul, but the influence of the Manchester City boss — who revolutionized football at Barcelona before rewriting English football’s playbook — is clear in his work.

“The key to Chelsea is unity and the coach’s work,” Guiu explained. “He works very well tactically, the training sessions are intense. He’s certainly influenced by Guardiola; the training sessions are very similar to Barça’s, with a lot of ball-playing and positional play.”

For a player like Guiu, who was raised in the Barça school of positional play, the familiarity is both reassuring and motivating. It means his transition to English football is less about adapting to a completely new philosophy and more about fine-tuning his craft within a similar framework — one that emphasizes intelligence, movement, and technical precision.

Guiu even joked with close friend and Barça defender Pau Cubarsí, saying: “I’ve already told Cubarsí that I’ll be killing it, although I wouldn’t celebrate a goal.”

Why Chelsea and Not Barcelona?

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The obvious question remains: why would a promising striker, already scoring goals for Barcelona’s first team, choose to walk away?

Guiu doesn’t shy away from the truth. Barcelona, for all its glory, is not an easy environment for young forwards to thrive in right now. With a host of attackers vying for minutes and the club constantly searching for established stars to ease the pressure of transition, opportunities for Guiu were uncertain.

“There were a lot of strikers, and I wasn’t guaranteed a first-team contract,” he said. “So I think I made the best choice.”

Chelsea, meanwhile, offered something Barcelona couldn’t: a clear sporting project, backed by a coach who personally reached out. “Maresca called me and told me he believed in me and that the sporting project was incredible,” Guiu recalled. That personal touch mattered. It wasn’t just about money or prestige — it was about trust.

And for all of Chelsea’s reputation for hoarding young players, the project has shown signs of promise. Last season, the Blues lifted both the Conference League and the Club World Cup, providing tangible proof that the project can yield results.

Sunderland, Setbacks, and a Swift Return

Interestingly, Guiu’s Chelsea story took a brief detour. This past summer, in search of regular playing time, he was loaned out to Sunderland, a club with one of the most passionate fanbases in England. For Guiu, the experience was refreshing.

“I arrived at Sunderland with great enthusiasm; the fans were incredible, some of the best I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I was very comfortable.”

But football’s twists of fate intervened. When Liam Delap suffered an injury, Chelsea recalled Guiu almost immediately. The striker didn’t hesitate. “I’m a Chelsea player, and that’s where I’m going,” he declared.

The loan may have been short-lived, but it gave him a glimpse of English football’s intensity, the physical demands of the lower leagues, and the kind of environment that toughens young players for the Premier League stage.

Facing Barcelona: “The Match of My Life”

November 26 is circled in red on Marc Guiu’s calendar. On that night, Chelsea host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League — and for Guiu, it will be more than just another game.

“It will be a special match, the match of my life,” he admitted. “I hope I get some minutes.”

The emotions will be raw. To line up against the club that nurtured him, in front of the world’s cameras, with a chance to show them what they lost — it is the ultimate test of his decision. Yet Guiu’s focus remains clear. He insists he wouldn’t celebrate a goal, a mark of respect for the club that gave him everything, but make no mistake: he wants to make an impact.

For Chelsea, the tie carries added significance. Matches against Barcelona in the Champions League have become a recurring theme in recent years, and with both clubs undergoing transitions, this encounter will be a measuring stick for where they truly stand. For Guiu personally, it’s the perfect stage to prove his bold choice was justified.

Betting on Himself

Guiu’s story, in many ways, is the classic tale of a young player betting on himself. It would have been easy — safe, even — to stay at Barcelona, wait his turn, and hope for an eventual breakthrough. Instead, he took the road less travelled.

And in doing so, he aligned himself with a coach whose methods resonate with him, whose philosophy carries echoes of Guardiola, and whose trust might be the key that unlocks his full potential.

The challenges ahead are real. Chelsea’s squad is stacked with attacking options, and competition for minutes will be relentless. But if Guiu has shown anything so far, it’s a willingness to embrace challenges head-on. From La Masia to London, from Sunderland to Stamford Bridge, he has chosen the harder path — and thrived.

What Next for Marc Guiu?

For now, the target is simple: earn more minutes, make an impression, and keep developing. Chelsea fans are eager to see what the teenager can do, and Maresca’s faith suggests he will get opportunities.

The looming clash with Barcelona offers a narrative too good to ignore, but beyond that, Guiu’s future is about more than one emotional night. It’s about carving out a long-term role at Chelsea, proving he belongs at the elite level, and showing that his move away from Barcelona wasn’t just bold — it was brilliant.

As he himself put it: “It was a difficult decision; Barça gave me everything; it was my home. But I think I made the best choice.”

And if Marc Guiu really does “kill it” under the bright lights of the Champions League, the world might soon agree.