Leicester City’s new manager Enzo Maresca speaks for the first time on being appointed ahead of the 2023/24 Championship season.
Enzo Maresca, who had been assistant coach of Manchester City’s Treble-winning team, signs a contract running until 2026.
Six days after Manchester City’s Champions League Final win, the 43-year old Italian has joined the Foxes, a permanent successor to Dean Smith, who failed to keep the Foxes up in the Premier League after only two wins in eight games.
— Leicester City (@LCFC) June 16, 2023
CLUB STATEMENT:
Leicester City Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Enzo Maresca as our new First Team Manager.
Enzo, 43, has agreed a contract at King Power Stadium to 2026 and begins work immediately in preparation for the new EFL Championship season.
The Italian arrives in Leicester having most recently worked as first team coach with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, whom he helped to a Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League treble in 2022/23.
He will now set about starting a new era at Leicester City, as the Club seeks to mount a challenge for promotion and a return to the Premier League.
Leicester City Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “Enzo brings a combination of personality, method and ambition that meets extremely well with the footballing direction we are looking to take. His philosophy has been built over a rich and varied career, including an outstanding education as a coach, and fits with the vision we have for this next chapter in Leicester City’s history.
“Enzo’s profile has stood out to us for some time – a feeling that was only enhanced upon meeting him and listening to his enthusiasm for the challenge ahead. I have no doubt he will be warmly welcomed by our supporters and that together we can reset the Club’s course towards future success.”
Leicester City Manager Enzo Maresca said: “I’m very excited because of the Club [I’m joining] and because we have a big season ahead of us.
“At the beginning, the target is to play in the best way we can. From there, we can build, day by day, our idea and our philosophy, and the most important thing is to try to win games.
“First of all, we’re going to give 100 per cent, absolutely, because the Club deserves this. It’s our job, our duty to do that. Then, as I said, day by day, step by step, absolutely we’re going to improve.”
Both as a player and a coach, Maresca’s football education was influenced by some of Europe’s finest managers, including Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Marcello Lippi. Having started his coaching journey in Italy with Ascoli in 2017, Maresca impressed as an assistant coach at West Ham United under Manuel Pellegrini. He was appointed to lead Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad in 2020 and duly delivered the Premier League 2 title, before returning to Italy to take up a head coaching role at Parma. He returned to City in 2022 to join Guardiola’s staff as first team coach.
Maresca will be able to call on experience of English football’s second tier from his earliest days as a player. Having come through the ranks at AC Milan and Cagliari, he eventually made his professional debut at West Bromwich Albion aged 18 and featured during two seasons for the Baggies. He continued a decorated career in Italy, Spain and Greece with clubs including Juventus, Sevilla, Olympiakos and Malaga. He retired from playing in 2017 as a Scudetto winner with Juventus in 2002, a Copa del Rey winner with Sevilla in 2007 and a two-time UEFA Cup winner with Sevilla (2006 and 2007).
Enzo will take training with the Foxes squad for the first time on 3 July, when the Club’s senior professionals not involved in international camps this summer will report for pre-season training.
City fans will have their first chance to see the new Foxes boss in the dugout when we travel to Northampton Town in a pre-season friendly on Saturday 15 July. The Foxes will then head to Southeast Asia for games against Tottenham Hotspur in Bangkok (23 July) and Liverpool in Singapore (30 July) before the EFL Championship kick-off.
Fixtures for the 2023/24 EFL Championship season are released on Thursday 22 June.
Leicester City Football Club would like to place on record its thanks to Dean Smith, Craig Shakespeare and John Terry, whose contracts will not be renewed beyond the end of this month.
Arriving in April with eight games of the 2022/23 Premier League season remaining, Dean and his team performed admirably in leading City’s fight against relegation to the Championship – a task that proved insurmountable despite victory on the final day of the season.
The team secured nine points from Dean’s eight games in charge, including wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United at King Power Stadium.
Leicester City Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “I’m enormously grateful to Dean who, together with Craig and John, agreed to take on a big challenge in those final eight games and gave everything to help us retain our Premier League status. Our quest was ultimately unsuccessful, but the confidence and fight demonstrated during the run-in were born of Dean’s qualities as a coach and a leader, and the work of his staff to help the squad move forward.
“I offer my thanks and very best wishes to Dean, to Craig and to John in their future pursuits and look forward to welcoming them back to King Power Stadium as guests and friends of the Club.”
“At the beginning, the target is to play in the best way we can.” – Enzo Maresca 💬 pic.twitter.com/42Mod0f2o1
— Leicester City (@LCFC) June 16, 2023
Here’s what fans said as Leicester’s new manager speaks for the first time on being appointed…
@joeydra1: Now let him control the transfers this summer. I understand there is a budget but we need quality signings.
@blue_fox_91: I really hope we have a complete overhaul of coaching staff, getting rid of Sadler and Stowell and the like will be needed to allow the complete refresh that is needed! #lcfc
@AndrewBaggyT: Hope renewed, excitement is back, eager anticipation for the new season is here again! Supporting #lcfc is rarely dull! 🦊
@MartinBshop: I like him already. Nice blue shirt and a magnetic tactics board in shot. Proper #lcfc
@Canadian_Foxes: Today, I feel Italian. #Enzo #lcfc
@MattSibson: Although he isn’t a proven manager, it’s quite in inspiring choice. Happy with that. #LCFC 🦊
@andielcfcsutton: Welcome Enzo Maresca, please can you bring Mahrez back home for a season? Gundogan is also a free agent, sign him up! 🤣🤣 #LCFC
@Colonel147:
To the tune of copa cabana
Enzo , Enzo Maresca
He was Peps number 2
Now he’s Royal blue
He is Enzo
Enzo Marescaaaa
Italian Passion
Is Leicesters new fashion
He is Enzo
In Royal blue (or LE2)
#LCFC
@dinokyp: Excited by the appointment of Enzo. Positive move, somebody with fresh ideas, hopefully can galvanise the squad and bring back the enthusiasm to the club. #LCFC
@hursty16: All of a sudden I’m buzzing for Championship football in August 💙🦊 #welcomeEnzo #lcfc
@mamblefox: Wonderful, wonderful news. Now let’s give him time to sort things out. Don’t start moaning because we haven’t signed 20 players in the next 2 weeks or if we lose our first 2 fixtures. The Arsenal fans wanted rid of Arteta early on. We should be better than that.
@Den_WHU: I think this will be an excellent appointment. Our players raved about him when he was our coach and our board were desperate to keep him but he wanted to stay loyal to Pellegrini
@supersouttar: Honestly after 2 years of misery at this club I’m now so excited with enzo, matches our pro attacking philosophy with todays Leicester, can reset our mentality, I know it’s a risk but with his pedigree in the game especially under pep it’s a risk worth taking 🇮🇹🤌 #LCFC
@thenickjenkins: Now we all need to stop the moaning and back him! #CiaoEnzo #lcfc
@Ross_Edmo: All the best Enzo , all behind you fella 🦊
@richardsykes93: Well pleased with his appointment. Come on Leicester 🦊
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