Enzo Maresca, the accomplished assistant coach of treble-winning Manchester City, is on the verge of becoming the new manager of Leicester City after reaching an agreement with the Foxes.
According to reports the 43-year-old Italian is expected to be officially named as the club's manager as early as Friday. This news comes just six days after Manchester City's triumphant Champions League victory.
Maresca will be taking over from interim boss Dean Smith, who struggled to steer the team to success with only two wins in eight games during their failed attempt to stay in the Premier League. Smith assumed the role in April after Brendan Rodgers' departure following his four-year tenure as Leicester City's manager.
For Maresca, this move to the King Power Stadium marks the end of a highly successful year as part of Pep Guardiola's coaching staff. It is his second stint at Manchester City, having previously served as the coach of their Under-23s team. However, his previous experience as the manager of Parma in 2021 was less fruitful, with only four wins in 13 games following their relegation from Serie A.
Leicester City's relegation from the Premier League concludes a disappointing season, in which they finished 18th in the table with only nine victories. This marks their return to the Championship after a decade in the top flight.
The club's relegation comes as a stark contrast to their unprecedented success over the past decade. Following their promotion as Championship title winners in 2014, Leicester City remarkably went on to win the Premier League two years later.
They further achieved notable milestones, including reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, winning the FA Cup, and making it to the semi-finals of a European competition for the first time in 2022.