When Enzo Maresca gathers his new Chelsea players together for the first time at the club’s Cobham training base, it will all be about “the idea”.
Maresca is the latest Pep Guardiola disciple to take a top job in the Premier League and, like his former mentor, is a head coach utterly devoted to his style of play.
This “idea” is a world of inverted full-backs, total domination of the ball, tiring opponents mentally and physically, ruthless breaking of lines and overloads. He will immediately outline his philosophy to his new squad and demand bravery and commitment. He will make it clear that mistakes are part of the process. Obsessed with the small details, he surprised Leicester players by insisting very early on that every pass has to be made to the correct foot.
It is a remarkable rise for the former midfielder, who is still said to hold his own during training games. To many observers, it will appear a huge risk from Chelsea’s ownership. Mauricio Pochettino’s exit last week was a surprise, and came after a stirring run over the second half of the season to secure European qualification. The impact of his departure has clearly been felt by his players, whose social media posts have told stories of sadness and shock.
Maresca has only completed one full season as a head coach, though he ended that campaign by lifting the Championship trophy. That was despite a late wobble which included six defeats in 10 matches, threatening to blow Leicester’s promotion bid off course. Polls on a fans’ forum even started to argue whether Maresca should be jettisoned before it was too late. Yet an emergency summit between the players, led by senior professionals such as Jamie Vardy, produced a defiant response which carried them over the line.