Enzo Maresca has left his role as Chelsea head coach after 18 months in charge, Sportivationng.com reports.
Sky Sports News reported on New Year’s Day that Maresca was on the brink of a Stamford Bridge exit after a breakdown in relations with the club.
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 Tuesday evening’s 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth.
Amid reports of tension behind the scenes, he missed his post-match press conference following that game, 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.
Maresca guided Chelsea to the Europa Conference League trophy and the Club World Cup trophy at the end of his first season at Stamford Bridge.
Strained relations, poor results and cryptic comments
Maresca joined Chelsea in June 2024 and won the Club World Cup and Conference League, as well as achieving a fourth-placed Premier League finish last season to secure Champions League qualification.
But relations have been strained between Maresca and key figures at the club going back to this time last year.
Missing his post-match press conference after a chaotic 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday was another sign of the problems behind the scenes, even though his absence was attributed to illness.
The Italian stood by the comments he made on December 13 when he claimed that many people at the club were not supporting him or the team.
He described the days leading up to the 2-0 victory over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” of his time at the club.
A few days after his comments, reports emerged that Maresca could replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City – links which Maresca described as “100 per cent speculation”.
Maresca’s stock was high after Chelsea beat Barcelona 3-0 in November and sat three points off the top of the table, but Chelsea have dropped off the Premier League pace with just one win in seven league games.
Two more dispiriting and lacklustre performances at Stamford Bridge against Aston Villa and Bournemouth over the holiday period increased the pressure.
Maresca, who served as an assistant to Guardiola, was appointed Chelsea head coach in June 2024 on a five-year contract, replacing Mauricio Pochettino.
He had left the Etihad to join Leicester in 2023, where he won the Championship title.
Why has Maresca left Chelsea?
Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol:
“The first reason? Results. They simply have not been good enough. Chelsea have won only one of their past seven Premier League games and they have dropped 20 points from winning positions in the league and Champions League this season.
“The second reason is because I believe there have been disagreements behind the scenes about return-to-play protocols for injured players. Chelsea have an independent medical department who have the final say. From Chelsea’s point of view, their head coach will never have the final say when it comes to that.
“Another reason, from Chelsea’s perspective I think, is Maresca being linked with other jobs like Juventus and Manchester City. There may have been a sense from inside the club that these links were a distraction and coincided with a dip in form and results.
“There have been clues that not all has been well behind the scenes, such as Tuesday night when Maresca did not hold a post-match press conference after the draw with Bournemouth because, we were told, he was ill.
“It has added to a sense of volatility at the club but the sense is that things have not been right at the club for some time.”
Who next for Chelsea?
Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol:
“My information is that Chelsea will appoint a new permanent head coach in a matter of days.
“We don’t yet know who will be in charge against Manchester City on Sunday but I’m being told that this appointment will not take weeks.
“There is expectation around Liam Rosenior. Would Chelsea be worried that he is inexperienced? His only managerial experience in English football has been at Hull City. But I was told: ‘Look at Enzo Maresca.’
“There is a feeling at Chelsea that it wouldn’t be that much of a risk to turn to Rosenior, but of course it would be a massive step up for him, to go from Strasbourg in Ligue 1 to managing one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“Rosenior, however, is just one of the candidates.”
Maresca’s exit means Chelsea are looking for a fourth permanent managerial appointment since American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital bought the club in May 2022.
The aim is for a new manager to continue working under the same system, and to avoid the need to make major changes midway through a season in which the club remain fifth, despite their recent run.
