He has bags of experience in England.
After Enzo Maresca guided the Foxes back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Leicester City are now tasked with finding a new man to fill the dugout at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester left frustrated by sudden Maresca exit
Maresca’s sudden departure came as a shock to much of the Foxes faithful. The Italian had earned plenty of praise during his time at the King Power, winning the Championship title in one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory.
The 44-year-old’s success made it all the more disappointing when Maresca jumped ship to fill the vacant head coach position at Chelsea. Senior officials at the club voiced their opposition to the move: “Given the promising foundations established during his single season in charge, the club is disappointed that Enzo has decided at this stage that he no longer wants to be part of our vision”.
Whilst a £10million compensation payment will go some way to soften the blow, the loss of Maresca and the six members of staff he took with him will add to the turbulence at Leicester this summer. With a potential points deduction hanging over their heads, addressing the vacancy in the dugout is just one of the many problems they face before they can start to look towards next season.
With this in mind, the Foxes’ higher ups appear to already have a top target to fill Maresca’s shoes and guide Leicester in their return to the topflight.
Corberan now leading target for Leicester vacancy
As per The Telegraph, West Bromwich Albion’s Carlos Corberan is understood to be the leading target to replace Maresca. The Spaniard has been linked with Leicester after he took the Baggies to a fifth-placed finish in the Championship. Most impressive was the fact that Corberan did this despite financial sanctions curtailing any transfer business over the last season.
With Leicester likely facing similar financial restrictions next season, having a coach who can work under a tight budget would be a major asset to the higher ups. A figure in the region of £4million would be necessary to tempt Corberan away from The Hawthornes, but the club apparently believe he’d fit their criteria perfectly, so it could be money well spent.
Corberan was previously in the dugout at Huddersfield Town when they came agonisingly close to the Premier League, suffering heartbreak in a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in 2022. The 41-year-old has come close to the promised land on numerous occassions, so moving to Leicester would be his first time coaching in the top flight.
The Spaniard first came to England as a youth coach for Leeds United, working under former Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa. Corberan cites the Argentine coach as a major inspiration for his management style too, as the Baggies boss spoke highly of Bielsa in an interview with The Coaches’ Voice: “Working with Bielsa was a once in a liftetime opportunity.
“Marcelo showed that his analytical ability and his extensive knowledge of how a team works is limitless. This is something that leaves its mark on you.”
Giving Corberan his first break in England’s top flight would be a wise move from the Foxes. Whilst their preference was likely to keep Maresca, there are few more suitable replacements than the Spaniard.
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