Explained: What are Enzo Maresca's tactics and style of play?

Enzo Maresca will be managing in the Premier League for the first time in his career in the 2024/25 season.

Enzo Maresca’s approach to football tactics is deeply rooted in the footballing philosophy of positional play, a concept that allows players to move into certain spaces at certain times, akin to a game of chess.

His career has seen him adopt various formations, primarily focusing on deep build-up play and creating attacking opportunities through intelligent positioning and movement.

This tactical analysis of Enzo Maresca delves into the Italian's methods, examining how these tactics have evolved across his coaching stints and their implementation at Leicester City.

It also sheds light on what Chelsea fans can expect from Enzo Maresca as the new head coach of Chelsea.

How do Maresca's teams approach build-up play?

Maresca places significant emphasis on a deep build-up strategy, aiming to beat the high press with short, controlled passes from the back.

His goalkeepers often integrate with the defensive line, providing numerical superiority and aiding in the progression of play.

This method, honed during his time at Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad, is evident in his current 4-3-3 formation at Leicester, where an inverting full-back supports the double pivot in midfield.

At Parma, Maresca also favoured building from the back, albeit with lower possession percentages.

His approach included a narrow full-back on the opposite side of the ball and another advancing to support the attack, differing slightly from his tactics at Leicester.

How do Maresca's teams attack?

A hallmark of Maresca’s attacking structure is the use of No. 8s to exploit inside channels.

The inverted full-back creates space for these midfielders to push forward, supporting the central striker and providing additional options in attack.

This approach has proven effective at Leicester, where Maresca's tactics have led to high possession rates and multiple goal-scoring opportunities from advanced midfield runs.

At Parma, his system converted into a 2-3-5 formation during attacks, pushing the number eights into forward positions.

In contrast, Leicester’s shape resembles a 3-2-4-1, with aggressive runs from the eights penetrating the opposition's defensive lines, especially when opponents attempt to press the wide attackers.

How does Maresca defend against counter-attacks?

One limitation of positional play is the vulnerability to counter-attacks.

Managers who use positional play, like Pep Guardiola, rely on strong, athletic, pacey and defensively astute players to reduce the threat of opposition counter-attacks.

Maresca’s defensive setup focuses on maintaining a structured shape to counter potential breakaways, also known as rest defence.

Rest defence is a team's defensive structure and positioning when in possession of the ball.

The aim of using rest defence is to prevent counter-attacks by maintaining a defensive shape even during attacking play.

It is often associated with a higher defensive line to compact the playing field, with players seeking numerical superiority in central areas in order to counter-press and win the ball back quickly when possession is lost.

At Leicester, Maresca's teams typically revert to a 3-2 rest defence formation in possession, with three players in the backline and a double pivot screening ahead.

This setup allows centre-backs to step up and address wide counter-attacks while providing central protection.

During his tenure at Parma, Maresca deployed a 2-3 shape rest defence, promoting aggressive pressing to regain possession quickly, showing his ability to adapt his tactics to the team, the league, and the opposition.

However, this approach carried risks, particularly if the second line failed to delay counter-attacks, leaving the back two exposed.

How do Maresca's teams press?

Maresca advocates for a high-pressing game, aiming to regain possession swiftly and control the match tempo.

Leicester frequently transitions into a 4-4-2 pressing shape, with one of the number eights joining the striker to force play to one side.

This system locks the ball on one flank, facilitating aggressive pressing from the opposite winger and central midfielders.

If high pressing is not feasible, Leicester adopts a more conservative 4-4-2 block, with the midfield staggering to cover spaces and protect the central defenders.

At Parma, Maresca’s pressing system in a 4-3-3 formation focused on wide areas, demanding high-intensity runs from wingers and full-backs to regain possession.

What is Maresca's record as a coach?

Before Leicester, Maresca’s head coaching role at Parma was short-lived after winning just 28.57% of his games in charge of the Italian club.

But it provided a valuable learning curve for the Italian, with his work with Manchester City’s elite development squad showcasing his ability to develop young talent and implement a progressive style of play, culminating in a Premier League 2 title.

After completing a season as Pep Guardiola's assistant in 2022, Maresca moved to Leicester City, where he would win the EFL Championship title with a record 31 league victories with a 67% win ratio.

His tactical approach and ability to instil a clear playing philosophy were pivotal in this achievement. Players like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have lauded his methods, despite initial challenges in adapting to his style.

Enzo Maresca’s tactical philosophy is a blend of strategic planning and positional play, refined through his varied coaching experiences. His methods at Leicester City highlight a commitment to deep build-up play, intelligent attacking movements, and structured defensive strategies.

As Maresca continues to implement and evolve his philosophy in the Premier League, he will now be working under the intense pressure of the Chelsea ownership and fanbase.

Under new American ownership, Clearlake Capital are expecting the return of the Blues to the top of the Premier League.

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