It’s makes for very interesting reading when you look back to see what Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia said about Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca a few years ago.
Leicester boss Enzo Maresca, 44, is one of the managers receiving a lot of links in the media to the Chelsea job, which is vacant following Mauricio Pochettino’s exit by mutual consent.
The Guardian has just claimed that there’s a ‘strong chance” that Maresca leaves Leicester to become the next Chelsea head coach. However, the Blues still have Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and Brentford’s Thomas Frank on their managerial shortlist as well.
What Romeo Lavia once said about Enzo Maresca
If Maresca does arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer, he’ll immediately have a couple of familiar faces in the squad that he recogises.
The Italian boss previously coached Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer back when they were playing in the Manchester City academy.
Maresca, who worked as Man City’s Under-23s boss, coached Lavia and Palmer. He later worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant in the first team as well.
Lavia once shared some interesting tactical advice that he received from Maresca when working under him for Man City’s U23s.
Lavia said via GOAL in 2021: “I really enjoy recovering the ball and pass through the lines. Enzo’s helped me a lot with that, always being on the half-turn so I can see the game going forward, so it’s not a problem now.
“I know that I’ve got my qualities, but if I do something wrong they help me.”
How Chelsea could mirror Leicester midfield
For anyone who missed Leicester’s promotion from the Championship this campaign, the fully fit version of their midfield played a key role in the success.
Maresca’s preferred midfield trio was a combination of Harry Winks, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Wilfred Ndidi. It was the perfect blend of control in possession, while physical and aggressive off the ball.
The Chelsea Chronicle could definitely picture Lavia as the pass master next season, replicating the job of Winks at Leicester. Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher are the other Blues central midfielders that could really suit a possession-based style under Maresca.