fbpx
Connect with us

Championship

Leicester frustrated after Enzo Maresca “jumped ship” at first opportunity for Chelsea

Leicester City have been reportedly left frustrated after Enzo Maresca “jumped ship” at first opportunity for Chelsea.

John Percy reports that Maresca has “disappointed” Leicester by leaving after just 12 months in charge, with senior officials annoyed at how he appeared to openly court the Chelsea job, while acknowledging he was ambitious and would be sought after.

Leicester will receive around £10 million in compensation, while Maresca takes all six members of backroom staff to Chelsea.

Towards the end of the 2023/24 season, Maresca expressed his worries regarding Leicester’s financial state, with a points deduction looming to begin the 2024/25 campaign.

A trip to Monaco post-season, Maresca told Leicester’s board, which included owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, that he was happy to stay, even turning down offers from the likes of Sevilla and Porto, while vowing to support the club’s future plans and even advised Leicester to decline an invitation to participate in the Stateside Cup in the United States this summer.

But as soon as Chelsea came calling on the 27th of May, Maresca couldn’t turn it down.

The negotiations took time with Maresca on holiday in Marbella last week, and discussions regarding the coaching staff had been prolonged.

Who next then for Leicester? West Brom’s Carlos Corberan is still the top candidate, who after financial difficulty, he managed to guide them to the Championship playoffs last season, though the compensation for his services estimates to be around £3.5m-£4m, a tough hurdle considering their current financial issues. 

LEICESTER STATEMENT:

Leicester City Football Club can today confirm the departure of Enzo Maresca from his position as First Team Manager.

Given the promising foundations established during his single season in charge, the Club is disappointed that Enzo has decided at this stage that he no longer wants to be part of our vision.

However, with Enzo’s decision made and the Board’s terms for his departure met, we wish him well in his future endeavours. He leaves with the appreciation of everyone at the Club for his work in helping us to achieve an immediate return to the Premier League during the 2023/24 season.

Staff members Willy Caballero, Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, Marcos Alvarez, Javier Molina Caballero and Roberto Vitiello will also be leaving the Club.

The Board will now commence the process of appointing a new manager that will lead our return to the Premier League and continue the implementation of our long-term vision for the success of Leicester City Football Club.

FAVOURITES TO BECOME NEW LEICESTER MANAGER

Sky Bet – 3 June – 3:30pm
Carlos Corberan – 9/4
Steve Cooper – 5/2
Oscar Garcia – 6/1
Graham Potter – 7/1
Ruud Van Nistelrooy – 7/1
David Moyes – 10/1
Maurizio Sarri – 12/1
Liam Rosenior – 14/1
Marti Cifuentes – 14/1

CHELSEA STATEMENT:

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Enzo Maresca as new head coach of the men’s team.

The Italian will begin his new role on 1 July 2024 on a five-year contract, with a club option of a further year.

Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Enzo to Chelsea. He has proven himself to be an excellent coach capable of delivering impressive results with an exciting and identifiable style.

‘Enzo has deeply impressed us in our discussions leading up to his appointment. His ambitions and work ethic align with those of the club. We thoroughly look forward to working with him.’

Chelsea’s ownership group said: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Enzo into the Chelsea family. We look forward to supporting him and the rest of the sporting team in fulfilling their potential and our expectations over the years to come.

‘He is a highly gifted coach and leader that we are confident can help fulfill our vision and competitive goals for the Club.’

Maresca said: ‘To join Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a dream for any coach. It is why I am so excited by this opportunity.

‘I look forward to working with a very talented group of players and staff to develop a team that continues the club’s tradition of success and makes our fans proud.”

After spells on the coaching staff of Ascoli, Sevilla and West Ham United, Enzo took charge of Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad in August 2020 and guided them to the 2021 Premier League 2 title.

After a stint with Parma and another as assistant coach at Man City, Enzo was appointed head coach at Leicester City in June 2023. The 44-year-old guided the club to the EFL Championship title and promotion back to the Premier League in his first season in charge.

Enzo’s staff will include former Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero, Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, Marcos Alvarez, Javi Molina and Roberto Vitiello. Ben Roberts will join the staff as goalkeeper coach and has been appointed to the role of head of global goalkeeping.

We are also delighted to confirm the appointment of Bernardo Cueva who will lead the set-piece department.

Welcome to Chelsea, Enzo!

This is what fans are saying with Leicester frustrated after Enzo Maresca “jumped ship” at the first opportunity for Chelsea, say reports…

@JamieB8806: As if the club are taking pot shots at Maresca for jumping ship. If you drag him to a vanity parade pre-season in Thailand, make zero off-field changes with a relegation and mislead him about the financial situation, what do you really expect?! #LCFC

@_dc194: How has he jumped ship at the first opportunity when he literally turned down Sevilla and Porto? The club needs to stop feeling sorry for itself and move on, mad that they should be upset that a manager would want to go to Chelsea. #lcfc

@Birdiex94x:
Bye bye
Thanks for promotion
Now let’s get our new manager sorted ASAp

@SL42821: Can hardly blame him. He had to come out and defend his style when we were 15 points clear and the board lied to him about our financial situation. I don’t know what anyone expected once chelsea came knocking.

@Chi_Lcfc: Maresca, like any of us – is free to change his mind over his career at any point. Wish he would’ve stayed, but he was just as annoyed with the lack of communication with the board as we have been. #LCFC

@kelsen_sachin: Now that the poundland pep saga is over, Now we begin. New manager, new season, new start. Gonna be tough but back this team all the way. COYF 🦊💙#LCFC

@BenNotley: Had a good enough season, but the #LCFC fans don’t seem too bothered to see him go to #CFC The fact Leicester were 16 points ahead of the champions at one stage and it still ended up so close, and the fans aren’t too bothered, might indicate this isn’t great for Chelsea.

@Mark_Hodson_: Feels like a ‘Let’s put a statement out that makes Enzo look bad’ whereas the fans will probably never know how badly the club is being ran. I’m not sure I blame him, as everything seems aligned for a quick return the Championship! Good look to him, just not against us! #lcfc

@supersouttar: Thanks for restoring the club back to the prem from the mess that it was & leaving us in a better place, gutted we couldn’t have enzo for longer but we still keep moving forward to better things 🙏 #LCFC

@dtsturner: I feel pretty neutral towards Enzo on this. He was offered more money and a large transfer budget at a bigger club with no impending points deduction. He’s done what 99% of other managers would have done in the same situation. Disappointing but simply have to move on #lcfc

@c_r_5: I’m shocked that the mismanagement of the club over a number of years, and then lying about its effects to the current manager has had a negative effect on his frame of mind about the club. Maybe doing that and lying about it isn’t the way to run a club. Accountability needed

@MarkPeters81: A truly staggering appointment by Chelsea. Although the results have been good, the football at Leicester this season has been as dull as ditchwater. To receive around £10m in compensation really is the dream scenario as far as I am concerned.

@Ashleypp1986: Right Enzo is gone it’s time for the club to pull their finger our and stop fucking about and get a new manager in who is going to commit and gives us proper stability and be able to push us on to the next level. #lcfc

@kelsen_sachin: Disappointed in him. Thought he loved the club and was loyal to the project. Oh well. Goodbye Enzo. See you sacked in December 👋

Related Topics
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

More in Championship