'A next step to the elite' - inside Maresca's move to Chelsea

It's official. Enzo Maresca is nan caller Chelsea manager.

Just weeks aft guiding Leicester City backmost to nan Premier League, nan Italian has discontinue aft 1 play and opted to return connected what galore spot arsenic a poisoned chalice.

The 44-year-old will go nan 5th Blues leader since nan commencement of 2022-23, and a seventh imperishable leader successful 5 years.

His predecessor Mauricio Pochettino mislaid his job - albeit by communal consent - astatine nan extremity of nan play contempt guiding Chelsea to sixth successful nan Premier League, backmost into European shot and to a home cup final.

So, why has Maresca turned his backmost connected nan Foxes for a nine who splashed an unthinkable £747m connected transfers during nan 2022-23 run and person lurched from situation to situation successful nan caller past?

As genuine arsenic Maresca's joyousness was astatine taking Leicester City consecutive backmost to nan apical formation astatine nan first clip of asking, nan euphoria created by promotion could not disguise nan truth that not everything was good astatine nan club.

Leicester's imaginable Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues were thing he only became alert of aft nan play had started.

That, coupled pinch a highly unsatisfactory January transportation model involving 2 deals successful particular, besides created conflict astatine Leicester.

Cesare Casadei was very overmuch portion of Maresca's plans aft signing connected indebtedness - coincidentally, from Chelsea - astatine nan commencement of nan season. Then Chelsea recalled him successful nan wintertime window.

Stefano Sensi, from Inter Milan, had travel to nan UK to thief complete nan woody erstwhile nan 2 clubs had negotiated a interest for nan player. Suddenly everything fell isolated complete concerns surrounding nan club's FFP standing.

Maresca kept his counsel and soldiered connected but to opportunity he was unimpressed connected some occasions would beryllium an understatement.

But to opportunity that disillusionment pinch nan nine is nan defining logic for his swapping nan bluish of Leicester to that of Chelsea is wide of nan mark.

The reality is that erstwhile you person offers from 2 erstwhile Champions League-winning sides - Chelsea and Porto - your floor plan successful a competitory marketplace becomes clear. And it is clear excessively why Maresca has been chosen to make improvements astatine a perchance apical nine for illustration Chelsea.

That is astir apt being a spot unfair to Pochettino, because he has near nan nine successful a considerably better, acold much unchangeable spot than he recovered it 12 months ago.

Pochettino, though, is nan type of coach who has to judge he is successful nan correct place, wherever he feels respected arsenic he co-exists successful an ambiance of happiness and harmony - and he felt nary of those things astatine Stamford Bridge.

Ironically, Maresca is besides that benignant of manager, personification who needs to consciousness empathy and nan knowing of his paymasters.

Bearing that successful mind, his main interest astir accepting nan occupation will beryllium taking connected committee Pochettino's reasons for leaving, namely nan excessive interference and power exerted by nan owners, which galore judge hampers nan activity done by nan coaches.

He could person called Pochettino to inquire for his input.

But Maresca has been told nan correct things, sent nan correct messages and been reassured that astatine Chelsea he will beryllium supported and surrounded by capable elite group that tin activity alongside him, to guarantee nan nine tin execute their first awesome purpose of a top-four finish.

He will find a young team, 1 disappointed pinch nan departure of Pochettino, who galore felt was conscionable starting to get it right.

But he shouldn't person excessively overmuch of a problem trading his type of crippled to his caller players, a style which isn't dissimilar from Pochettino's: precocious tempo, unit precocious up nan pitch, possession.

This clip - pinch nan top respect to nan Leicester squad - he will beryllium capable to use it pinch players amended than nan ones he had astatine King Power Stadium.

To do that, he will person to stamp his authority and proceed nan advancement successful nan civilization of nan nine started by Pochettino, not conscionable wrong nan campy but besides pinch everyone astir it arsenic well, very overmuch for illustration he did astatine Leicester.

Maresca won't initially beryllium looking for a nine that wins perfectly everything but alternatively 1 that gives him stableness and allows him to put his ideology into practice.

For nan mostly of Leicester fans, location will beryllium disappointment.

But Maresca, contempt nan title-winning euphoria, ever believed nan main purpose for this Leicester broadside successful nan coming play would beryllium avoiding relegation.

The Chelsea fans will return to him and to his style of play. They will find him an absorbing guy, a man of extent who mightiness travel complete a small reserved astatine nan opening but who will soon person nan fans.

His woman Maria and their 4 children will beryllium happy to beryllium staying successful England, though they would person preferred to stay successful Leicester, wherever they person settled very well.

When offers for illustration this travel in, though, they besides cognize that they can't really beryllium turned down.

Ultimately, his determination to time off Leicester has thing to do pinch nan negativity he received from immoderate of nan fans successful nan past astir nan style of football.

Rather, it is because a nine of a higher calibre has fixed him nan chance to get adjacent to nan elite - wherever he belonged arsenic a subordinate and to wherever he rather rightly aspires to beryllium arsenic a coach.