The main candidate for the Leicester City manager position has already received approval from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. The five-time Premier League winner knew outgoing Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca well, since the Argentine was his assistant before taking over as manager. Maresca, who led Leicester to the Championship title, has now gone to take over Mauricio Pochettino’s post at Chelsea, leaving Leicester without a manager ahead of their return to the top flight. Names like Carlos Corberan, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and even Mauricio Sarri have all been connected with the Leicester position, but it appears that the club has reduced their search to two main possibilities.
Out-of-work duo Steve Cooper and Graham Potter are claimed to be the two managers dominating the race, with Potter having the slight advantage. Pep Guardiola is a ‘huge supporter’ of Leicester City manager candidate Graham Potter. Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, and has declined several job offers since then. The 49-year-old coach is widely considered to have his sights set on the England post, with the outcome of this summer’s European Championship likely to have a significant impact on whether that position becomes available.
However, Leicester do not have time to wait for England’s Euros campaign to be completed and will want to finalize their future as soon as possible. If they can persuade Potter to take over, they will have a manager who is respected by none other than Guardiola. When Potter was Brighton manager in 2021, the Catalan coach praised him, saying, “Brighton are a joy to watch, a joy to analyze.” “At the same time, seeing them makes you anxious about their quality. “To compete with them, we [City] will need to maintain the highest standards and levels. I’m a huge fan of Graham Potter.
“Everyone plays in their positions, the ball comes to them, players move freely, and everyone understands what they are supposed to do. They have the confidence to play anywhere.”
Last summer, Leicester appointed Man City assistant Enzo Maresca, who had no prior experience as a first-team manager and only a few months at Parma. Having an experienced head come in will not be a bad idea. Leicester had Steve Cooper on their radar from the start, identifying him as one of the front runners very immediately after Enzo Maresca left. Steve Cooper will bring previous experience from Forest and Swansea to this post. His track record at both clubs is sufficient to perform this task well.
His background as a Youth World Cup champion with England, where he coached that dynamic team to victory, is incredibly interesting and full of unique experiences. It will be intriguing to see what happens in the transfer market. We will also be monitoring the outcome of the coaching staff appointments, as a large number of new employees will be hired. Matt Gillies, Martin O’Neill, Micky Adams, and Harry Bassett have previously served as managers in both camps. Great to have Steve Cooper on board.
