Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea move leaves Leicester disappointed as the new Blues boss departs the Foxes after just one year in charge… with some officials believing he courted the job
Enzo Maresca’s move to Chelsea has left Leicester disappointed that the Italian opted to leave after just one season at the club.
Maresca was confirmed as the new Stamford Bridge boss on Monday on a five-year contract after leading Leicester to promotion from the Championship in his first senior job in English football.
Leicester will immediately begin the search for a new manager, but Mail Sport understands that the manner in which Maresca’s departure has left a slightly sour taste. Seniors are disappointed that the 44-year-old has chosen to leave the club after such a short time. Some even believe that Maresca openly courted the job.
Maresca had a compensation clause of around £10 million, including the three-year deal he signed when Leicester signed him a year ago.
Last season he had expressed frustration with certain off-field issues, but it is believed that many of these were resolved after promotion and Maresca was looking forward to leading Leicester into the top flight. That all changed when Chelsea parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino and Maresca quickly became a leading candidate for the job.
Enzo Maresca’s departure to Leicester has disappointed Foxes officials after he left the club after just one year in charge
Leicester’s return to the Premier League is likely to face challenges, with the Foxes set to receive points for breaching spending rules. That is no longer a headache for Maresca, but will probably make life more difficult for his successor. Among those Leicester admire is Carlos Corberan, who led West Brom to the Championship play-offs last season despite huge financial uncertainty in the first half of the season.
A statement from Leicester said: ‘Given the promising foundations laid during his one season in charge, the Club is disappointed that Enzo has decided at this stage that he no longer wishes to be part of our vision.
“However, now that Enzo’s decision has been made and the board’s conditions for his departure have been met, we wish him every success in his future endeavors. He leaves with the appreciation of everyone at the Club for his work in helping us 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 leave the Club.