Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has said he is thankful for Leicester’s role in his coaching career as he prepares to return to the club for the first time.
Chelsea travel to face Leicester in the Premier League this weekend in what will be Maresca’s first return to his old side.
The Italian led Leicester to the Championship title and Premier League promotion in 2023/24, before leaving the Foxes to join Chelsea.
Despite spending just a single season at the King Power Stadium, Maresca said he is thankful for his time with Leicester and said he has remained in contact with the ‘fantastic people’ at the club.
“I’m excited and thankful, it was a fantastic season. The owner, his family are fantastic people. They care for players, staff, all of the people that work in the club. You can see that,” Maresca said at his pre-match press conference.
“It was a fantastic season because I met good people. There was a fantastic connection between the players and staff, and that is something you have to create to be successful. I’m still in contact with them, it was fantastic.”
Chelsea sit third in the Premier League table have won just one of their last five league games. Maresca is aiming to improve on that record this weekend but insisted there are no ‘easy games’ in the Premier League despite Leicester’s position near the bottom.
“It’s not an easy game. You can see week after week it always is complicated, no matter where the team is in the league. We are always going to try our best to win.”
