He’s earned the scarf: Enzo Maresca has turned Leicester City’s toxicity into unity
Football, for me, is about more than 90 minutes on a Saturday. Football, for me, is a kind of ideology and concept of being proud of where you come from, to champion everything good about it and have its back in the darkest of times. Football, to me, is just a vehicle to drive that concept.
I don’t really get too involved in who’s playing in which position and which player may be the next to move on. Obviously, I keep an eye on it, but Leicester City Football Club will still be there after the final mercenary has left.
These past couple of years have been a bit of a slog following City. Of course we’ve had fun along the way. The trips to Naples, Eindhoven and Rome, challenging at the very top of English football, but there just didn’t seem to be that connect between the football club and its supporters.
Perhaps it was coming out of various lockdowns and restrictions, perhaps the previous manager thought himself too good for us, or maybe I felt like the club thought that supporters like myself were not as important than those that will spend X amount in the club shop and concourse each week.
But now Enzo’s here and I’m struggling to think of another Leicester City manager that, in such a short space of time, has managed to rebuild the relationship between club, players and fans.
We could’ve easily kept sinking. There’s no divine right for us to be sitting top of the Football League with a record haul of points and on course for a (record) eighth second tier title. This has happened because a manager has been able to instil a battling mentality into the squad – and that’s all that we, as fans, can ask for. The same players who looked to have given up last season are now playing with a vigour and a swagger that has got the fanbase on board.
Last season was probably my least favourite following City. The LCFC civil war was in full swing, we were fractured, toxic and – though we didn’t have to look far – finding any old stick to beat the club with.
When Enzo ushered the players over to the Kop after the 3-2 victory against Millwall, you suddenly felt that connect between the fanbase and players. We’ve had QPR and West Brom this season away from home, but this was the first real time that the whole squad has stood and appreciated its vocal home support for as long as I can remember.
Enzo’s also got previous. He made a point of saluting a bouncing SK1 following the victory against Sunderland earlier this season and he’s been constant in his calls for a more vocal backing on Filbert Way.
During the FCC meeting and Q&A with Enzo at Seagrave earlier this week, Union FS – who have recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary - handed Enzo a group scarf.
The fact he was available to accept that gift says a lot about the bond that is being built and I would like to think he had that scarf in mind when saluting that vocal corner after the Millwall game.
Forza Vincenzo.
12 Days of Christmas at The Bridge
For the past 10 years, The Bridge Homelessness to Hope has served a 3-course Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings to hundreds of people in Leicester who are experiencing homelessness.
This year, they want to go one better and offer their guests (service users) not just one day of celebrations but 12 days of festive events over the month of December.
If you’re enjoying The Fosse Way, please consider donating to The Bridge’s Christmas appeal:
