Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca has emerged favourite to replace Mauricio Pochettino
Chelsea are close to naming a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino, with Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca emerging as the frontrunner.
Reports from The Athletic’s David Ornstein indicate that Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna is no longer in contention, while Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Ruben Amorim is out of the running due to his limited experience in English football.
Although Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank remain potential candidates, Maresca appears to be the leading choice for the Stamford Bridge role. Chelsea is reportedly seeking a young, progressive manager capable of competing with top Premier League managers like Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.
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Given Maresca’s experience as Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City, Chelsea believes he has the credentials to restore the club’s fortunes.
Maresca’s coaching career includes guiding Manchester City’s U23 team to a Premier League 2 title in 2021 and a brief stint as Parma head coach. He returned to City as Guardiola’s assistant before taking the helm at Leicester City last summer.
Under Maresca, Leicester led the Championship but struggled late in the season, narrowly securing promotion despite losing seven of their last 14 matches. His possession-based football drew criticism from Leicester fans for being overly conservative.
Chelsea supporters can expect Maresca to implement a similar possession-heavy system, emphasizing ball control and structure over attacking freedom. This approach aligns with strategies used by top clubs like Arsenal and Manchester City.
Maresca is expected to continue utilizing a back-three formation, with flexible roles for full-backs like Reece James and Marc Cucurella.
If appointed, Maresca is likely to deploy a midfield trio featuring Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez, with a forward line including Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, and Nicolas Jackson.
Chelsea fans should brace for a shift towards a more structured and disciplined style of play under Maresca’s leadership.
