Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca revealed that he encouraged Ruud van Nistelrooy to become Leicester manager, believing it was the right move for his friend.
Despite Leicester’s poor performance with only two Premier League wins since December, Maresca maintains that it remains an attractive position.
Maresca led Leicester to the Championship title last season, but now they are struggling to stay in the Premier League.
Maresca, now managing Chelsea, is preparing to play against his former club and Van Nistelrooy at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
“Ruud is my friend,” Maresca stated. “We were teammates and have stayed in touch.”
“When Leicester contacted him, he called me, and we discussed it. I told him Leicester is a fantastic club with wonderful people.”
Maresca emphasized his positive experience at Leicester, praising the club’s staff and environment.
Maresca and Van Nistelrooy briefly played together at Malaga and will now face each other as managers.
Leicester urgently needs points after a poor run of form this year.
Maresca remains in contact with Leicester players, indicating strong relationships built during his time there.
He mentioned receiving a banner from Leicester fans during their Christmas party, expressing their appreciation.
“I aim to build close relationships with players, and it seems I achieved that. I still communicate with many Leicester players because of our great season together and my connection with them,” Maresca explained.
He reiterated the exceptional quality of people at Leicester, highlighting their caring nature towards family and personal matters.
“However,” Maresca stressed, “the most crucial thing is that we need our fans’ support on Sunday – for the entire match, we need to win. That’s paramount.”
“Currently, my focus is solely on Chelsea, improving our team. Solutions for Leicester are for Ruud, the sporting director, and the owner to find.”
Maresca confirmed Chelsea will not underestimate Leicester, despite their struggles.
Key midfielder Moises Caicedo is at risk of suspension, but Maresca will not rest him, despite upcoming matches against Arsenal and Tottenham.
He stated, “Winning games is our priority now. We can’t rest Moi for future games. We must beat Leicester first and then focus on Arsenal. We need our best players available each game.”
Maresca acknowledged Caicedo’s tendency to get yellow cards as a midfielder, considering it normal.
“Hopefully, he can avoid suspension, but we have Romeo Lavia returning and Reece James who can also play in midfield, so we are prepared,” Maresca concluded.
