‘Gifted’ ex-West Brom star in running to win at Ballon d’Or awards ceremony
West Brom fans will be surprised to see that one of their former heroes could be in line to win an award at the upcoming Ballon D’Or ceremony.
The Baggies have made a bright start to the new Championship season, but their recent exploits have unfortunately left the top flight as a distant memory.
West Brom haven’t been in the Premier League since the 2020/21 campaign, when Sam Allardyce was unable to haul them away from the drop zone in the latter stages of the season.
Ryan Mason will be hoping to put an end to the five-year stint in the Championship this term, and he should perhaps take inspiration from this former Albion star, who has just received recognition.
Ex-West Brom hero Enzo Maresca nominated for Johan Cruyff Trophy
Enzo Maresca spent time at West Brom at the start of his playing career, although that isn’t commonly remembered outside of the Albion faithful.
The former midfielder began his professional career with the Black Country outfit in the late 1990s, and made 51 appearances in the blue and white stripes before moving on to Juventus.
He went on to represent the likes of Sevilla, Fiorentina and Olympiacos, before turning to coaching after he retired from playing in 2017.
- Maresca played for West Brom across two seasons between 1998 and 2000
- The Baggies were in the second tier of English football at the time
Maresca is now managing Chelsea, who he led to glory at this summer’s Club World Cup tournament, the first edition of the revamped format for the competition.
That achievement has seen UEFA nominate him for the 2025 Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy, which is awarded to the best coach, either at club or international level.
The ex-West Brom star is set to compete against the likes of Antonio Conte, Luis Enrique and Arne Slot for the award, with the winner set to be revealed at the Ballon D’Or awards ceremony on 22 September.
Enzo Maresca was a gifted player
Maresca was a talented player for West Brom, with one of his former teammate Andy Townsend referring to him as a “gifted” footballer who was “always a maverick.”
He notched five goals for the Baggies during his time in B71, before he moved on in what was a club-record £4.3million sale at the time in 2000.
The Italian then went on to become a Serie A champion with Juventus, while also tasting glory in the UEFA Super Cup and the UEFA Cup with Sevilla.
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