Chelsea assistant manager Willy Caballero has been speaking about what makes Enzo Maresca such a good coach.
Maresca has not been a first-team manager for long, but the 45-year-old has already enjoyed a lot of success.
Last season, he guided Chelsea to fourth in the Premier League table and the Conference League trophy. Before that, he took Leicester City back to the English top flight.
Maresca still has his critics, largely because of the style of football that Chelsea play under him, but Caballero is not one of them.
Enzo Maresca issues instructions during Real Betis Balompie v Chelsea FC - UEFA Conference League Final 2025
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Willy Caballero claims Enzo Maresca’s preparation and solutions are unrivalled
As well as working with Maresca, Caballero has also had the privilege of being coached by Pep Guardiola, playing under the Spaniard at Manchester City.
Guardiola is regarded as the best manager in football, but Caballero has suggested that Maresca comes out on top when it comes to things like preparation and giving solutions to players.
In an exclusive interview with Chelsea’s official website, the former goalkeeper said: “I’ve been very fortunate in my career — in the Premier League and other countries — that I have 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.
“I felt this very quickly. In the moment I decided to finish my playing career, he had a space for me on his staff [at Leicester City] and I saw how he coached, managed the moments in the week and how he can interpret the game.”
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Maresca has a very long way to go, though, before he comes anywhere close to matching Guardiola’s achievements.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during a Champions League match against Club Brugge.
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Caballero is not the only former Premier League footballer to heap praise on the Chelsea head coach.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has also been impressed with Maresca and the job that he has done at Stamford Bridge.
When Scholes spoke about Maresca last month, he said: “The manager has done great, really, when you think about it.”
How Willy Caballero knew Enzo Maresca was destined to become a manager
For Caballero, after getting to know Maresca while playing alongside him at Malaga, the Italian was always going to become a coach.
In the same interview, the Argentine said: “We only played together for one year, but I got this sensation as he had come from very good teams and had worked with very good managers. He was always talking about football, whether that was on a trip or after training.
“And the way he talked, it was different. It wasn’t about winning, it was about how to win — what we did wrong, what we could do better. If you find a player who has this kind of interpretation of the game, I feel you are close to finding a potential coach.”
Willy Caballero giving instructions during Chelsea's win against Everton
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Maresca and Caballero are now hoping to lead Chelsea to Club World Cup glory. The Blues lost their last match 3-1 against Flamengo but can still make it to the knockout round of the competition with victory over Esperance Sportive de Tunis.
They will have to do it without Nicolas Jackson, though, following his red card last week.