Yahoo News Ricardo Pereira posts Enzo Maresca message after 'best coach' moves to Chelsea
Ricardo Pereira has thanked Enzo Maresca and become the first Leicester City player to mention the manager’s departure on social media.
Three days after Maresca’s switch to Chelsea was confirmed, Ricardo posted a picture of himself and Maresca alongside the caption ‘Thank you for everything’. While Kasey McAteer expressed his gratitude to Maresca in an interview shortly after his exit, Ricardo is the first City player to reference his move on their personal social media channels.
Speaking just before Maresca’s exit, Ricardo described the Italian as “the best coach I’ve had”. The right-back was among the players who considered their future at the King Power Stadium only to be convinced to stay after Maresca was appointed. The Portuguese international went on to become an integral player in the manager’s system, operating in a hybrid role where he moved from defence into midfield.
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“I like that he is direct,” Ricardo told Marca. “He maintains the mentality of a player and says things as they are. He takes great care of those who play the least and that is important.
“Tactically he is very good, the best coach I've had. His way of playing is complex but the way he explains it makes it seem easy. We all know what we have to do and what the others are going to do.
“Throughout my career I have played almost every position. I love challenges. Now I play a lot inside. I'm almost a defensive midfielder in attack and I like it because I have a lot of the ball and I can play fast, with one to two touches.”
Ricardo will very likely be a key player for whoever the new manager is at City. He is under contract at the club for another two years.
