Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca makes West Brom results admission
Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca admits he still makes it a priority to check West Brom results due to his long-standing affiliation with the club.
Maresca spent a short period with Albion at the start of his playing career before heading to Juventus in 2000.
The 43-year-old is now manager of Midlands rivals Leicester and oversaw his new club’s late 2-1 win at The Hawthorns last weekend.
Speaking to Birmingham Live [5 December], Maresca opened up on his emotional return to Albion and said he is a big fan of Carlos Corberan.
“To be honest, since I left 25 years ago, it doesn’t matter whether they’ve been Premier League or Championship, I always want to know at the end of our game what the final score of West Bromwich was,” he said.
“It’s been one of my clubs and probably one of the most important clubs because I was very young – 18, 19 – and they helped me a lot to grow.
“[Carlos’ job is] unbelievable. If you don’t see who the manager is but see the team, you can tell it’s a Carlos’ team. It’s the way they’re intense and the way they want to play.
“That’s why Saturday was a tricky game because they are probably one of the best teams we’ve faced so far.”
Vested interest
Maresca’s time at West Brom may have been short – he spent two incomplete seasons with the club – but he obviously has fond memories.
The Italian went on to represent 10 other clubs during his playing career in Spain and his homeland, yet he still checks Albion’s full-time results.
Maresca has a vested interest in West Brom’s results this season, of course, because the clubs are both battling for the same target – Premier League promotion.
Whereas Leicester are strong favourites to go up automatically – even more so after their dramatic win last weekend – the Baggies are looking to nail down a play-off spot. Both sides are therefore well positioned to achieve their goals.
The former Manchester City assistant clearly has a very bright coaching career ahead of him, and it is nice that a brief spell in the West Midlands helped him on his way.
In other West Brom news, a journalist has named one player that may leave the Baggies in January.