Enzo Maresca Departs as Chelsea Manager Amid Struggles

Enzo Maresca has officially left his position as Chelsea manager, with the club currently ranked fifth in the Premier League.

The 45-year-old Italian’s departure comes less than six months after he secured the Club World Cup at the conclusion of his inaugural season at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea stated, “With key objectives still at stake across four competitions, including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the Club believe that a change will provide the team with the best opportunity to get the season back on track.”

The Blues have struggled recently, winning only one of their last seven league matches and earning a mere six points from six games in December, which has left them 15 points behind league leaders Arsenal.

However, the situation extends beyond just results. Maresca had garnered respect from pivotal figures at Stamford Bridge, such as sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, along with influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali, by guiding Chelsea to a top-four finish and winning both the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup last year.

Despite these achievements, tensions developed between Maresca and the club’s hierarchy. Following Chelsea’s sole Premier League victory in December—a 2-0 win over Everton—Maresca shocked his staff by declaring that the subsequent 48 hours had been his “worst” since joining the club. This revelation caught senior management off guard, as they preferred to maintain discussions privately.

Friction had been apparent prior to this incident. Maresca aimed to elevate his profile through external engagements, including plans for a book that were halted, and he appeared at Il Festival dello Sport in Italy without club approval. He also expressed his disagreement with the decision not to sign a central defender following Levi Colwill’s serious injury. The club’s management explained that signing a defender could have led to potential complications with academy prospect Josh Acheampong, which ultimately led Maresca to retract his stance.

Additionally, the former Leicester manager switched agents, moving from Wasserman to Jorge Mendes, and has been mentioned as a possible successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City—a notion Maresca has denied.

He has also opted out of wearing club tracksuits in favor of his personal attire, indicating a growing disconnect with the club.

After his last match against Bournemouth, which ended in a 2-2 draw on December 30, assistant manager Willy Caballero noted that Maresca was unwell and unable to fulfill his media obligations. However, it is widely believed that his absence stemmed more from disillusionment with the club than from illness.

Notably, a 52-second video summarizing Chelsea’s year posted on social media on New Year’s Eve made no mention of Maresca.

The Italian felt the pressure he faced was unjust, citing challenging working conditions and an infringement on his team selection autonomy. Although he did not mind managing a young squad, he believed that fan expectations needed to be aligned with reality, particularly given injuries to key players like Colwill and Cole Palmer.

Initially, Chelsea planned to review Maresca’s position at the season’s end if performance improved; however, his dissatisfaction prompted the club to expedite their decision.

Chelsea’s next match will be a challenging fixture against second-placed Manchester City on Sunday, followed by games against Arsenal and Napoli, marking a tough month ahead.