Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed he spoke to Claudio Ranieri before taking the Leicester City job, who was happy to give him advice before he moved.
Gianluca di Marzio cover comments from the Chelsea boss made in an interview with Sky Sports Italy today ahead of the weekend.
Maresca was appointed at Chelsea in the summer after a successful year with Leicester City in which he led them out of the Championship at the first time of asking.
His arrival was something of a controversial one given previous manager Mauricio Pochettino had finished last season strongly and appeared to finally be building a team and system from the expansive list of recent signings.
Maresca has managed to dispel any doubts early on this season, though, with four wins from seven games in the league and just one defeat putting Chelsea fourth in the table.
“I called Ranieri as soon as he arrived at Leicester,” he said.
“At the end he told me that I had to remember that the club had fired him after he had won the Premier League. I always listen to his advice. With coaches like him even a simple chat is full of lessons.”
The focus for Maresca is currently on continuing Chelsea’s fine start to the season and getting them back into the Champions League, the place where the current ownership expect them to be.
This weekend sees one of their big major tests of the early campaign as they travel to Anfield to take on league leaders Liverpool.
They have also started the season in fine form under a new manager, Arne Slot, who arrived in the summer to replace legend Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds sit one point clear at the top of the table with six wins from seven, but Maresca isn’t concerned and insists Chelsea’s focus is on doing damage.
“The team (Liverpool) has maintained the course of the previous coach and has added new things,” he added.
“We will try to play a great game; we will give importance to the opponent, and we must focus on how to hurt without conceding too much.”
