Enzo Maresca kind of looks like Pep Guardiola. You might even do a double take at first glance. The resemblance is fitting, ad Maresca is part of the Pep coaching tree, an entity that seems to be growing in influence this summer. With Enzo Maresca set to leave Leicester City, to become the next manager at Chelsea, it’s another example of a Pep protege moving up in the coaching world.
You already have Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, and soon, Bayern Munich will announce Vincent Kompany as their new boss.
??? Enzo Maresca’s contract at Chelsea until June 2029 will be signed soon, while the club will also pay compensation for the staff.
At least five assistants will leave Leicester City to be part of Maresca’s staff, including former #CFC GK Willy Caballero. pic.twitter.com/O3Ok45gjF7
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 29, 2024
As you can see from the embedded tweet above, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Chelsea will compensate Leicester City for both Maresca and the coaching assistants that they will be bringing over. The 44-year-old Italian, in his one year at the helm at the King Power Stadium, guided the Foxes out of the Championship (second tier) and back into the Premier League (top tier).
What’s really interesting about this hire though is the five year deal (with an option for a sixth) that Chelsea are offering Maresca.
As you obviously know, the concept of “job security” and Chelsea manager just does not mix. Dave Sexton was the last Blues boss to last five years, and he actually went close to seven, but that was a half-century ago. Sexton was in charge from 1967 to 1974.
Only five other managers in the entire history of the club last that long: Tommy Docherty, Ted Drake, Billy Birrell, Leslie Knighton, and David Calderhead.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.