Leicester City have hired former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri as Enzo Maresca prepares to join the Blues. According to Alfredo Pedulla, the Foxes have added the Italian coach to their management shortlist as they seek to replace Chelsea’s Maresca. The 65-year-old former Blues manager has been without a job since March, when he parted ways with Lazio.
According to the source, the veteran coach has yet to decide his future despite interest from Serie A club Bologna, who could pursue Sarri if Thiago Motta leaves. The former Scudetto-winning Juventus manager also had an offer from Greek top-division club Panathinaikos, which he declined. In addition to the Italian, the newly promoted Premier League club is interested in signing Dutch veteran Ruud van Nistelrooy, who previously led PSV in the Eredivisie.
With Maresca ready to formally join the West London club, Leicester will need to identify a suitable candidate in the coming weeks to take over at King Power Stadium.
Former Juventus, Napoli, and Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri admits he has received ‘four’ offers from international teams, primarily from the Premier League and La Liga. The Italian strategist quit as Lazio coach in March and has since been linked to Newcastle and Sevilla. Football Italia sources confirm that the La Liga team approached the Italian tactician in recent weeks. “I am open to all projects that attract me,” Sarri told reporters on Monday, as quoted by Gazzetta, after a friendly competition to honor the late Niccolò Galli, a former Bologna and Arsenal player who died in 2001 in a motorcycle accident in Bologna.
“For the time being, the only four clubs that have approached me are from abroad, notably the Premier League and La Liga. It depends on the opportunities and the mid-long-term project that interests me.” Sarri reveals four bids from Premier League and La Liga teams, amid Newcastle links. Many Fiorentina supporters wish to see Sarri replace Vincenzo Italiano in the summer. Sarri is not just Tuscan, but he also resides just a few km from Florence. “They [Fiorentina] called me in the past, but never over the last few sessions,” he said.
“The only way to work for Fiorentina would be to ring at Viola Park and see if somebody opens the gates,” he quipped. “I am available for all projects that intrigue me and I don’t need the Champions League at all costs.” Fiorentina will face Olympiacos in the Conference League final next week. “The Viola can win, but they’ll face a good team,” Sarri stated. “Fiorentina are superior, but not sufficiently superior to allow for a calm game. It will also be a challenging contest considering it will be held in Athens. I also hope Atalanta wins the Conference League versus Bayer Leverkusen.
“Italiano is a great coach, he is young and has room for improvement,” said Sarri. “He has had a nice voyage in Florence, even though I believe Fiorentina should have done better in Serie A this season. However, when you travel far away in cup games, it is reasonable to lose something in the league.” Sarri won the Serie A title with Juventus in 2019-20 and the Europa League with Chelsea the previous season.
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