Leicester City’s Wout Faes says the Championship side were in a good place under Enzo Maresca.
The Italian took over Leicester City in July 2023, after their relegation from the Premier League.
Under his orders, the Foxes won 31 of 46 league matches and collected 97 points. This saw them win the Championship and secure promotion to the Premier League.
Maresca left Leicester City for Chelsea in the summer of 2024. At the start of this year, he stepped down from his role at Stamford Bridge and is now without a club.
Meanwhile, the Foxes finished 18th in the Premier League last season and dropped back to the Championship.
Since Maresca’s exit, the English club have had Steve Cooper, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Martí Cifuentes and Gary Rowett as permanent managers. The latter has been in charge since February.
The changes were down to a series of poor results. This, coupled with a points deduction for breaching PSR rules has seen Leicester City sit in 22nd spot. They are a point behind Portsmouth, who are in 21st.
Faes talks about Leicester City unity
Wout Faes struggled for a prominent role at Leicester City in the first half of this season. He played 16 matches and Martí Cifuentes didn’t utilise him in December and January.
Therefore, the 27-year-old joined AS Monaco on loan in January and the move allowed him to again enjoy regular minutes.
His Ligue 1 stats are as follows:
Appearances: 8
Starts: 8
Total minutes: 659
Minutes per game: 82
L’Equipe had a chat with the Foxes defender, who is enjoying life at Monaco. They ask if he felt Monaco’s ‘collective strength’ at his previous clubs.
When responding to that, he talked about how Leicester City were under Enzo Maresca.
“There was a year when I worked with Enzo Maresca at Leicester. There too, we really had a plan. We were like a family, we had a goal, and at every training session we had the same drive,” he said.
“I feel the same thing here [at Monaco]. The coach is very demanding, he’s very detail-oriented, he strives to keep the group on their toes – for some, it might even be a bit too much. He doesn’t allow anyone to slack off. Once, we asked for an extra day off: he refused. But we know why we’re doing all this.”
What next for Leicester City man
Last month, the Belgian said he wants to make his stay at AS Monaco permanent.
The Ligue 1 side have an option to buy, as part of the loan deal. It’s unclear whether this clause will be activated after this season.
If Monaco don’t retain him, Wout Faes would have to find a new club as he’s unlikely to feature again for Leicester City. They would also look to sell him considering his contract runs down in 2027, and his wages don’t fit with their current reality.