Enzo Maresca: Chelsea’s new boss who led Leicester back to the Premier League
Chelsea’s new head coach began his professional playing career at West Brom in 1998.
Enzo Maresca has been confirmed as the third permanent appointment of Todd Boehly’s tumultuous two-year ownership of Chelsea, following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino.
The 52-year-old Argentinian left after failing to reach agreement over the limit of his responsibility within what is a heavily tiered management structure at Stamford Bridge.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the background of his replacement, and whether the Italian will be a closer fit in west London.
Playing career
Arriving speaking little English, he made 47 league appearances for Albion before returning to Italy to play for Juventus, where he never established himself as a first-team regular, instead becoming a journeyman midfielder who would turn out for 10 clubs across three countries over the next 17 years before retiring in 2017.
Move into coaching
In the summer of 2022 Maresca was brought back to England by Pep Guardiola, who appointed him as his number two when former assistant Juanma Lillo moved to Qatar.
Championship success with Leicester
Despite a wobble on the season run-in, during which the team looked in danger of blowing what had been a 14-point lead in the race to go up, Maresca’s side eventually ensured a top-two finish with two games to spare.
What kind of a coach is he?
He is seen by the Chelsea hierarchy as someone who can work within the structure implemented by the club during the last two years, in which the head coach has a limited remit with little say over recruitment or other footballing appointments.
At Leicester he won the Championship title with a heavily possession-based style which is seen as a preferable way of playing given the profile of Chelsea’s playing recruits since Clearlake Capital bought the club.
