In certain ways, Enzo Maresca resembles Pep Guardiola. At first glance, you might even perform a double take. The similarity makes sense because Maresca is a member of the Pep coaching staff, which is a group that appears to be gaining ground this summer. Enzo Maresca, another Pep protégé rising through the ranks, is expected to depart Leicester City to take over as Chelsea’s next manager.
Mikel Arteta is already at Arsenal, and Vincent Kompany will shortly be named Bayern Munich’s new manager.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano is reportedly claiming that Chelsea will reimburse Leicester City for both Maresca and the coaching assistants they will be bringing over, as you can see from the tweet attached above. In his one season in charge at King Power Stadium, the 44-year-old Italian led the Foxes out of the Championship, the second division, and back into the Premier League, the top division.
The five-year contract Chelsea is offering Maresca, along with a sixth-year option, is what makes this hire so intriguing.
It goes without saying that the Chelsea manager and the idea of “job security” are a bad combination. The previous Blues manager to lead the team for five years—he nearly led for seven—was Dave Sexton, but that was fifty years ago. Sexton held the position from 1967 until 1974.
Leslie Knighton, David Calderhead, Billy Birrell, Ted Drake, Tommy Docherty, and Billy Birrell are the only other managers in the club’s history to have lasted that long. Since Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly acquired ownership of the team in May 2022, Enzo Moresca will be the club’s sixth manager.
Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, and Frank Lampard (on an interim basis) are on the list.