Enzo Maresca has left Stamford Bridge as the Chelsea manager. This has been the result of poor results but mainly behind closed doors matters. This move was somewhat expected as it was highly talked about in the past few days.
The Italian departs with the club fifth in the Premier League table - 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal - following one win from their last seven top-flight games.
Chelsea said in a statement: "Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company. During his time at the club, Enzo led the team to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Those achievements will remain an important part of the club's recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the club. With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track. We wish Enzo well for the future."
Maresca's final match was on Tuesday evening, with a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth and amid reports of tension behind the scenes, the Italian refused to hold his post-match news conference, albeit his absence was attributed to illness.
Chelsea return to action on Sunday away to Manchester City, the first of nine fixtures across four competitions during a packed January schedule.
According to Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol: "It has been painted as a mutual decision. It is very rare for managers or head coaches to resign because typically they don't get a pay-off but Maresca is someone who is very proud. I think he feels that he could not carry on working at Chelsea. At the same time, Chelsea felt that now was the right time for a change."
Maresca’s demise comes after an uncertain few weeks and him being booed by the home support after the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. The club were also baffled by him saying that "many people" hadn't supported him before the Everton game. Those remarks are viewed as the first of several self-inflicted wounds and offered a window into Maresca’s dissatisfaction with elements of the Chelsea project.
It didn't help that Maresca refused to explain the reason behind his discontent. Sources with knowledge of the situation have said that the clash came down to him pushing the club to give him more room to ignore the medical department’s advice on protecting certain players. Chelsea have guarded against injuries by implementing a strict rotation policy and it is said that the head coach was informed by the sporting leadership team that he would not be allowed to overrule the medical department on return to play protocols.
The aim is to protect the likes of Reece James, Pedro Neto and Wesley Fofana, all of whom have struggled with injuries in the past. Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s best player, has struggled with a persistent groin injury this season and is currently unable to play three full games a week.
Maresca’s mood hasn't been helped by receiving external criticism when rotation has led to disappointing results. He rotated heavily during the shock defeat to Leeds earlier last month and made substitutions with load management in mind when Chelsea lost to Atalanta in the Champions League a week later. The defeat to Atalanta came four days before Maresca’s "worst 48 hours" remarks.
Enzo Maresca initially delighted key figures at Stamford Bridge - including sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, and influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali - by steering Chelsea to a top-four finish and winning the Uefa Conference League and Club World Cup last year.
Yet, success soon turned to sourness in his relationship with the hierarchy. Maresca stunned even members of his own staff when - after beating Everton 2-0 for Chelsea's solitary Premier League win in December - he said "many people" had made it his "worst 48 hours" since joining the club.
Those comments came without any warning to club staff or senior management, who would've preferred any discussions to remain private.
After their 2-0 win over Everton on 13 December, the Italian described the build-up to the match as "the worst 48 hours" since he arrived at the club.
Speaking in this post-match press conference, Maresca said: "The way the players want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week."
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us." Pressed on what he meant, he added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."
When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."
Friction has been brewing for months. Enzo Maresca had hoped to raise his profile following the Blues' successes through opportunities outside the club. He was planning to publish a book before being blocked and spoke at Il Festival dello Sport - an event in Italy organised by La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper - without the club's permission.
He also made public that he disagreed with the club not signing a central defender after Levi Colwill injured his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season. The club's hierarchy explained that doing so could prompt academy prospect, Josh Acheampong, to request a transfer, which ultimately led Maresca to back down.
The former Leicester manager has also switched agents - from the Wasserman agency to Jorge Mendes - and has been talked of as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, which Maresca has dismissed.
In addition, he has increasingly avoided wearing club tracksuits - opting instead for his own clothing. Enzo Maresca, for his part, believed the pressure on him was unfair given what he felt were difficult working conditions, and that a line had been crossed in terms of attempts to influence his team selection.
While he wasn't angry about overseeing a young squad, he felt supporters' expectations needed to be managed regarding what was achievable - especially given key injuries to Colwill and attacker, Cole Palmer.
Chelsea initially intended to assess his position at the end of the season if results improved but Maresca's unhappiness was a factor in them parting ways sooner.
Chelsea expect to announce a new head coach in a matter of days, with Liam Rosenior understood to be one of a handful of candidates who will be considered as a replacement. He is currently managing RC Strasbourg. Strasbourg are owned by BlueCo, the same group who own Chelsea and led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
It's claimed Rosenior has 'impressed some key figures in west London' following Strasbourg's seventh-placed finish in 2024/25, a position which has seen them qualify for the Conference League this season. Strasbourg are currently placed seventh in Ligue 1.
Whoever arrives and succeeds Maresca, Chelsea's current position offers them a strong platform for the second half of the season.
I don't like those type of managers who think they have the right to say and behave the way want to while believing that they are immune from getting into trouble. I'm not a Chelsea fan but I would be furious at the behaviour exposed. I'll be thrilled that he was shown the door.