Chelsea assistant coach Willy Caballero has offered rare but glowing praise for Enzo Maresca, comparing the rising Chelsea manager favorably—even to football icon Pep Guardiola.
Willy Caballero: What Makes Enzo Maresca Even Sharper Than Pep Guardiola
Caballero, who played under Guardiola at Manchester City and alongside Maresca at Malaga, told Chelsea’s official website:
“I’ve worked with many top coaches, but I don’t think anyone is as well prepared, tactically focused, and trains the details to give solutions to the players like Enzo.”
At 45, Maresca’s meteoric rise—winning the UEFA Conference League, securing Champions League qualification, and steering Chelsea to fourth in the Premier League—has already placed him firmly in the spotlight.
His work with Leicester to gain promotion further underlines his rapid impact.
Caballero highlights Maresca’s man-of-the-match-level preparation: “I saw how he coached, managed the moments in the week, and how he can interpret the game.”
That depth of tactical clarity, he says, comes from Maresca’s obsession with how to win—not just winning itself.
Reflecting on their shared time at Malaga, Caballero adds:
“We only played together for one year, but I got the sensation… he was always talking about football—what we did wrong, what we could do better.
If you find a player with this interpretation of the game, you are close to finding a potential coach.”
Despite his steady rise, Maresca remains grounded and ambitious.
His impact was evident in the opening group stage of the Club World Cup: a 3–0 victory over Esperance de Tunis propelled Chelsea into the round of 16, with Liam Delap—notably a summer signing—netting his first goal.
Still, Maresca can’t rest. Chelsea endured a sharp 3–1 defeat against Flamengo, and face Benfica next—without suspended striker Nicolas Jackson.
As Caballero aptly describes, Maresca’s gift lies in his preparation, his tactical acumen, and his ability to equip players with clear solutions mid-week—a rare edge that, according to Caballero, even outpaces Guardiola in those specific areas.
