⚽ Our exclusive interview with Leicester boss Enzo Maresca

It has often been saidthat the Championship is an attritional slog andyet, after 22 games of the current campaign, EnzoMaresca's Leicester City have set a blistering pace. They have done so playing a brand of controlled football once thought alien to the English Football League. Inthis illuminating interview, Leicesters Italian manager explainshow he arrived at his way of playing, discusses the need to evolve tactically, and speaks about his future ambitions. We hope you enjoy it, and the football over this Christmas period.

Read all our exclusive coach interviewshere

So much for things going quiet in the build-up to Christmas. In one of the least surprising Premier League departures of recent times, however, Steve Cooper finally leftNottingham Forest this week. The former Swansea manager was replaced at the City Ground by Nuno Esprito Santo, who takes his third Premier League gig after previous stints with Wolves (who he led into the top flight in 2018) and Tottenham.

Movement in the Championship, too, where Sunderland finally named Michael Beale as the successor to Tony Mowbray. Beale returns to England after his 10-month spell in charge at Rangers came to an end in October. Stoke have raided fellow second-tier club Plymouth for Steven Schumacher, who led the Pilgrims to promotion from League One last season. The highly regarded Schumacher replaces Alex Neil, who was sacked earlier this month.

Troy Deeney has taken his first steps into management, after stepping into the vacancy left by the departure of David Horseman from League Two strugglers Forest Green earlier this week. The former Watford forward joined the club as player-coach in August. The only club below Forest Green in the Football League, Sutton United, parted ways with long-serving Matt Gray after last weekends 8-0 thrashing at the hands of Stockport.

The recent turbulence continues at Europa League winners Sevilla, with former Atltico Madrid, Watford and Getafe boss Quique Snchez Flores (above) the latest coach to take the hotseat. He replaces Diego Alonso, who won only two of 14 games in little over two months in post.

Kevin Muscat has swapped Japan for China. The former Wolves and Rangers defender led Yokohama F Marinos to the J1 League title in 2022, but after departing the club at the end of the most recent campaign he has taken the reins at Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port. Finally, Bundesliga side Koln have parted company with Steffen Baumgart; the club is second bottom of the table after winning only 10 points from their first 16 league games.