Enzo Maresca is on the brink at Chelsea, with a final decision on his future expected to be taken today.
There is no guarantee that Maresca will be in charge against Manchester City on Sunday due to his souring relationship with the club.
Sky Sports News reported on Wednesday that the Italian was at risk of losing his job if his results don’t improve, with only one win in seven Premier League games due to tensions.
Meanwhile, Maresca has been considering his position, feeling that it is no longer tenable. His contract runs until the summer of 2029, with a club option for a further year.
Key developments at Stamford Bridge are currently scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
Maresca’s relationship with key figures at the club has been strained since this time last year.
His absence from Tuesday night’s postgame press conference was another sign of problems behind the scenes, even if his absence was due to illness.
The Italian has stood by his comments made on December 13, in which he claimed many people at the club did not support him or the team.
He described the days leading up to the 2-0 win against Everton as the “worst 48 hours” of his time at the club.
Two further demoralizing and lackluster performances at Stamford Bridge and Aston Villa and against Bournemouth over the holidays added to the pressure.
Maresca’s fortunes have skyrocketed since Chelsea beat Barcelona 3-0 in November, leaving them three points clear of the top of the table, but a string of self-inflicted injuries, some questionable decisions and heartbreaking defeats by Leeds, Atalanta and Villa have put them under more pressure than ever.
Maresca signed a five-year contract when he joined Chelsea in the summer of 2024, but the club have the option to extend his contract by a further year.
Chelsea won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup in 2025, and Maresca led them back to the Champions League.
Problems behind the scenes at Chelsea
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Sky Sports News Chief Correspondent Kaveh Solhekol reveals tensions between Enzo Maresca and Chelsea
Sky Sports News Chief Correspondent Kaveh Solhekol:
“There seems to be something wrong with Chelsea. Back in November, Chelsea were on a roll after beating Barcelona in the Champions League, but since then they have only won two of their nine games.
His comments after Chelsea beat Everton were self-inflicted, saying the days leading up to the game had been the “worst 48 hours” of his time at the club and that “a lot of people” didn’t support him. There was no need for him to make such a comment, but it revealed that things were not going well behind the scenes at Chelsea.
“When you’re at Chelsea, you’re a head coach, not a manager, and you have to fit into the structure that’s been put in place at the club. Maresca has a sporting director who has to work closely with him and there has to be a team behind the team.”
“The question is, is that team united or are there problems with that team behind the scenes? Can those problems be resolved?”
“Another question I would like to ask is whether those issues are impacting performance or results.
“Chelsea have quality players and from the performances we saw against Barcelona and against Arsenal, they have a very good team, but for some reason Maresca is not able to get the most out of those players at the moment.
“You can feel it at Stamford Bridge. You can feel the disconnect between the team and the fans and that needs to be fixed urgently.”
Analysis: Maresca and Chelsea didn’t have the chance to start the game
Ron Walker of Sky Sports:
“At the end of last season, with Enzo Maresca leading a young Chelsea team back to the Champions League and then winning the Conference League and Club World Cup titles, we felt like we had a chance to build something.
“Six months on, how much progress have we made? Judging by the boos during and after the Blues’ recent poor result against Bournemouth, not that much progress.
“If you look at the Premier League table, this seems like a harsh assessment when Chelsea are well within their rights to qualify for the Champions League.
“But just as when Frank Lampard was the last managerial casualty of the Roman Abramovich era, the question is direction. At the halfway point of the 2025/26 season they are five points worse than at this point last year and adrift.”
“Maresca feels he is responsible for most, if not all, of the fundamental problems. Overrotation has been a problem for years. Chelsea have made 55 changes to their squad this season, while only rock-bottom Wolves have made more than 50 changes.”
“It’s not all his own fault. The team is severely lacking in depth in certain areas and lacks experience almost across the board. The starting XI against Bournemouth was the youngest to be selected in a Premier League game this season.”
“Maresca received deserved praise for his tactics to win the Club World Cup in the summer, but little progress has been made on that front far and wide. He has described himself as a big-game manager, and wins over Liverpool and Barcelona at Stamford Bridge this season, as well as a brilliant 10-man draw with Arsenal, are fair proof.”
“But that seven points conceded from a 21-point deficit includes the defeat against Leeds and the four-point drop against Bournemouth, where they had gone nine games without a win. “If Trevor Chalobah had taken a blatant penalty, it would have also counted as a loss against Newcastle.
“There were moments when it seemed like a connection was forming between Maresca and the fan base. The jubilation after the two trophies last season and the win at Tottenham earlier this season come to mind.
“But the vitriol in public hasn’t helped create the us-against-the-world mentality that fans have felt over the past 20 years under Jose Mourinho, Thomas Tuchel and even Frank Lampard.
“In the end, only results can turn things around for Maresca. That’s the cold currency that buys coaching time at Chelsea.”
With a big month looming for Maresca, Chelsea’s January fixtures…
The Blues have some tough games ahead…
Sunday 4th January: Man City (A) – Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm (live on Sky Sports) Wednesday 7th January: Fulham (A) – Premier League, kick-off 7.30pm (live on Sky Sports) Saturday 10th January: Charlton (A) – FA Cup, kick-off 8pm (live on Sky Sports) Wednesday 14th January: Arsenal (H) – Carabao Cup, kick-off 8pm (live on Sky Sports) Saturday 17 January: Brentford (H) – Premier League, kick-off 3pm Wednesday 21 January: Paphos (H) – Champions League, kick-off 8pm Sunday 25 January: Crystal Palace (A) – Premier League, kick-off 2pm (live on Sky Sports) Wednesday 28 January: Napoli (A) – Champions League, kick-off 8pm Saturday 31 January: West Ham (H) – Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm (live on Sky Sports)
