After Claudio Ranieri, another Italian coach, another former Parma player, makes history on the Leicester City bench.
Enzo Maresca, two years ago at the helm of the Crociati before his dismissal (14th place with 17 points in 13 days in the 2021/2022 Serie B), must have easily forgotten that bitter parenthesis in the Duchy. Because in the space of a couple of seasons he won everything he could have wanted and relaunched himself at international levels. After treble (Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League) recorded in spring 2023 with Manchester City, where he held the role of technical collaborator of the “lookalike” Pep Guardiola, this time Maresca won alone. And he brought Leicester back immediately, a year after relegation, to the top category by winning the Championship.
The Foxes they won the junior championship of England, even without playing: the defeat of Leeds, second in the table, at home to Queens Park Rangers (4-0) was enough to trigger celebrations throughout Leicester, 8 years later since the conquest of the Premier League (2015/2016) with “Sir” Claudio at the helm. The last two remaining games could also bring an impressive points score into triple figures: 94 in 44 games (30 wins, 4 draws, 10 defeats), with 86 goals scored and 39 conceded. Meanwhile, Leicester’s board is ready to make room for the 8th English second division championship (overtaking Mac City’s record): thanks to Maresca and his staff, which also includes another old Parma acquaintance: the former Gialloblù goalkeeping coach Michele De Bernardin. If the team to have collected the fewest balls at the back of their goal is Leicester, “some” credit also goes to those who prepared the white and blue defenders.
