New Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca confirmed that he rang former Blues coach Claudio Ranieri and also spoke to Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti to ask for advice before deciding to make the switch to Stamford Bridge earlier in the summer.
Maresca confirms that he has spoken to Ranieri on multiple occasions, particularly before he joined Leicester City in the Championship last season.
Maresca joined Chelsea on a five-year contract at the start of July, having helped Leicester achieve promotion back to the Premier League at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The 44-year-old tactician will meet his former boss and mentor Pep Guardiola again on Sunday evening when Chelsea host Manchester City in their first Premier League encounter of the 2024-25 campaign.
What Ranieri and Ancelotti told Maresca about Chelsea
“As soon as I signed I called Ranieri,” Maresca said in his press conference on Friday, reported via La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I did it because I had done it last year as well, before starting the season with Leicester. We won then, so I thought I’d do it again.”
Another one of his former bosses was also on hand to lend advice. Maresca had played under Ancelotti for a season at Juventus at the beginning of the millennium.
“I also chatted with Carlo Ancelotti before the friendly with Real Madrid,” he added. “Both he and Ranieri spoke enthusiastically about the team and their experience here.”
“For me, success means a team that is consistently improving, and that over time manages to reduce the gap between us and the teams who are currently dominating English football.”