Enzo Maresca has finally left Leicester City. During the immediate aftermath, two sentences of about identical length leaped off the page. First, there was this in David Ornstein’s piece for The Athletic on Enzo Maresca’s likely move to Chelsea: “Chelsea are said to be sensitive to the disruption caused to Leicester ahead of their return to the Premier League and appreciative of the class and professionalism they displayed throughout.”
Then, on Monday afternoon, we received this gem from our very own club website: “Given the promising foundations established during his single season in charge, the Club is disappointed that Enzo has decided at this stage that he no longer wants to be part of our vision.” The language in Ornstein’s report is the type of patronizing, vomit-inducing big six client journalism that serves no purpose other than to paint Leicester as little more than a feeder club to one of those most culpable for the financial nightmare that is top-tier English football.
Nevertheless, it provided an opportunity for Leicester to demonstrate professionalism in how Maresca’s departure was handled publicly. To move on rapidly while also reassuring prospective admirers with meaningful comments. Instead, we got something hazy and half-hearted that appeared to have been tossed together by someone leaving the office at the end of the day. Fans do not always need a rallying cry, but it is sometimes great to read anything more than the bare minimum. Look to the Brighton side.
It’s worth recalling Brighton’s statement when Chelsea last hired a young manager. That was Graham Potter in September 2022. Paul Barber, the deputy chairman and one of three distinct members of the club’s executive to be mentioned, states: “Tony [Bloom, chairman], David [Weir, technical director] and I have already begun work to replace Graham and to secure the very best candidate for the club.” I have no doubt that there will be extraordinary interest in the position, not only because of Graham’s tremendous work, but also because of our club’s football infrastructure.
Compare and Contrast: “The Board will now commence the process of appointing a new manager that will lead our return to the Premier League and continue the implementation of our long-term vision for the success of Leicester City Football Club.” Brighton illustrates a vision, whereas Leicester only talks about it. Who will be in charge of leading the search for the new manager, and how will they communicate the fact that the search has already begun? They discuss why it is a desirable job. They ended up appointing Roberto De Zerbi and qualifying for Europe.
Brighton is going through some changes this summer with De Zerbi’s departure, and this is not to say that they are ideal or that we should replicate all they do. But they constantly give the idea that they are trying. Enzo and onward Despite their flaws, Leicester City’s board members are actually fairly effective at hiring new managers; the vast majority of those brought in under the King Power/Rudkin axis were exactly what the club needed at the time.
Enzo Maresca followed the tradition. He was the ideal bandage for Leicester’s long-term difficulties, as proven not only by the Championship triumph or the £10 million compensation windfall, but also by the execution of a tactical plan that mostly overshadowed the incompetence above him. Last summer, following the never-ending internal review, Leicester’s greatest chance of regaining prominence was to hire a big personality – someone who could impose himself on a floundering squad and club.
But Maresca could never be more than a bandage. The difficulties generated by the massive payments paid to inferior players are more long-term than a promotion to the world’s richest league can fix. And Susan Whelan’s statements from a few months ago, when the record £89.7 million deficit was reported, ring louder than any contemporary reference to a lofty vision. “After a sustained period of growth and success for the club during the last decade, the 2022-23 season was a significant setback, the consequences of which will be felt for some time.”
This is most likely the true reason Leicester can’t go into depth about the owners’ huge aim. Because, after multiple transfer windows in which we have been unable to purchase and announcements of record losses that threaten to derail such a crucial season, the worst has yet to come. BBC Radio Leicester’s superb recent three-part season review podcast series was titled “The End of an Error”. However, the error was bigger than relegation, and the resolution will take longer than promotion.
Almost undoubtedly, the huge hit will be the club’s first-ever points deduction. The mere threat reduces the calibre of management that the team will be able to attract. We’re already looking for a firefighter with little or no top-level experience, someone who can maximize the potential of a squad with little resources. The lengthy journey back to reality. While Brighton’s statement appears to be positive, it’s understandable that we don’t know who is leading the search for Maresca’s replacement.
The most we’ve heard about Top’s football abilities is his wish that we “play like Manchester City”. Translate that into Latin and place it on the club crest. The club also cannot mention Jon Rudkin, because even the best player in the club’s history is content to walk off an open-top bus and chuck Rudkin back underneath it while tens of thousands celebrate his every remark. There does not appear to be anyone else with a profile in the football decision-making echelons, which is one of the most serious difficulties of all.
This may sound depressing, but there is still cause to express hope through specifics rather than a vague allusion to a vision. In the lack of anything else, the vision is likely to challenge English football’s entrenched elite. It may be a long path back to that reality, and it may never happen, but we do have a couple of the building bricks in place: a world-class training facility, and a crop of exceptional young players on the edge of making the first team. Would the club risk mockery by spelling out the vision more frequently in greater detail? Perhaps, but the continued lack of communication, accountability, and transparency is far worse.
According to John Percy’s Telegraph article, Maresca changed his mind after initially agreeing to stay this summer prior to Chelsea’s interest, but the alleged end-of-season discussions about transfer budgets, PSR, and the ridiculous Sensi situation feel like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Maresca’s failure to keep up with Leicester’s financial condition was definitely not the reason he accepted the many millions on offer at Stamford Bridge, but it would not have helped him form a lifelong affection for the club. Following previous concerns from Brendan Rodgers, there will always be a risk that the football director will continue to undercut and alienate the club’s manager.
Maresca appeared to be making progress in affecting that aspect of things. However, just with Rodgers, the detective was shot before he could apprehend the suspect. Or he withdrew from the case in pursuit of another hazy vision. Despite this, our supporters is eager to get back on board with our club. We may be astounded by the way senior figures veer from complacency to arrogance and back again, but it wasn’t always this way. Another summer brings the possibility for good transformation and a strong desire to change undesirable habits.
