Enzo Maresca was sacked as Chelsea head coach on January 1. It was recorded as the first case in Premier League history of a manager leaving his post on New Year’s night. Two trophies in a year and a half, fourth place last season, the youngest squad in the league — and still the end. The reason is simple: at Chelsea, winning isn’t enough; you also have to follow the club’s internal rules. This is reported by euro-football.ru.reports.
The real verdict was delivered in December: just 1 win in 7 Premier League rounds, 15 points behind Arsenal, and boos at Stamford Bridge after a draw with Bournemouth. Maresca did not attend the post-match press conference: officially due to illness, but unofficially because he already understood where things were heading. A line he said earlier will be remembered in England for a long time: “Since I arrived at the club, the last 48 hours have been the hardest. Many people supported neither me nor the team.” It is also emphasized that he was not talking about the fans.
Maresca arrived in the summer of 2024 after winning the Championship with Leicester. The Italian coach tried to build a team — and it worked: trophies in the Conference League and the Club World Cup, including a 3–0 rout of PSG in the final. This season, Liverpool, Tottenham and Barcelona were also beaten. Overall: 55 wins in 92 matches.
The problem didn’t start with a losing streak — it began when the coach stopped being “convenient” for the board.
After the successes, Maresca expected more influence inside the club: the plan was delivered, so there should be a say as well. He openly criticized the lack of an experienced centre-back signing after Levi Colwill’s injury. The coach wanted to publish a book about the Club World Cup win, but the board opposed it. Objections were also raised after he attended the Festivo dello Sport event without agreeing it with the club.
In the autumn, Maresca moved to Jorge Mendes’ agency. After that, according to journalists, he twice — in late October and mid-December — informed Chelsea that he had contacts with Manchester City representatives. For the club, it looked like a serious warning sign.
Maresca became the sixth coach to change at Chelsea over the last four years. Thomas Tuchel left amid a clash of personalities. Graham Potter couldn’t handle the pressure. With Mauricio Pochettino, they parted by mutual agreement — he wanted influence over transfers. Now it was Maresca’s turn. According to ESPN, club executives were concerned that he was increasingly speaking publicly against the board — and it even came as a surprise to his own staff.
Insider Ben Jacobs writes that the plan for Maresca’s departure began to be worked out on the evening of December 31, involving the club and his agent. The board unanimously decided change was necessary. According to talkSPORT, the Italian coach even waived compensation to speed up the process. All parties were interested in accelerating the split as much as possible.
Chelsea’s next match is on Sunday against Manchester City. Until a new head coach is appointed, the team will be led on an interim basis by U21 coach Callum McFarlane. According to Fabrizio Romano, the leading candidate for the permanent role is Liam Rosenior from Strasbourg. It’s a “convenient” option: the French club is owned by the same owners as Chelsea. In other words, effectively a promotion within the system.
Maresca will likely wait until the summer. According to Jacobs, he is eyeing the chance to manage Manchester City if Pep Guardiola leaves. Romano also confirms Enzo is on the Cityzens’ shortlist, but there is no final decision.
“Coach, thank you for everything,” midfielder Enzo Fernández wrote on social media.
Defender Marc Cucurella expressed gratitude for the trust and the memories. However, former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin was more blunt:
“They want a puppet. Someone who does exactly what they’re told from above. If that’s what they need, they should look for precisely that. They’ll bring in a younger coach who’s easier to control.”
Maresca left not because of defeats, but because at Chelsea even winning wasn’t enough. There is no system here where the coach is fully in charge: power belongs not to those who bring trophies, but to those who finance them. Results don’t grant a voice — they only renew clauses in the contract.
Chelsea officially announced Maresca’s departure on the first day of 2026.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
