Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca admitted he was reminded of the ruthlessness of the footballing world by his colleague Claudio Ranieri in a chat the two had when the former had just joined Leicester.
The 44-year-old manager left the Foxes after a season that saw him steer them back to the Premier League and moved to the London outfit, where he made a good impact by picking up 14 points from the Blues’ first seven league games.
In an interview with Sky Sport Italia ahead of a delicate game against Liverpool, Maresca revealed that he sought advice from Ranieri at the beginning of his experience in England, pointing out how conversations with the former Roma tactician can be ‘full of teachings’.
Maresca: Ranieri told me to remember his Leicester sacking after Premier League win
“I called Ranieri as soon as I joined Leicester,” Maresca told Sky Sport Italia.
“In the end, he told me I had to remember that the club had sacked him after winning the Premier League.
“I always follow his recommendations. With managers like him, even a simple chat is full of teachings.”
Leicester fired Ranieri in February 2017, nine months after the Italian coach led the club to a Premier League win, as the Foxes had lost 14 of the 25 league games in the season that followed the historic achievement.