Enzo Maresca has stepped down as Chelsea head coach after 18 months in charge at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian left with a rift in his relationship with the club and a disappointing run of just one win in their last seven Premier League games, leaving them 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Sky Sports News reported that Maresca’s departure has been unanimously agreed by Chelsea’s board.
Chelsea’s recent poor form, disagreements over the return process for injured players and speculation linking Maresca to Manchester City are all believed to have been key factors in Maresca’s departure.
Maresca’s departure means Chelsea are seeking their fourth permanent manager since American investor Todd Boley and private equity firm Clearlake Capital bought the club in May 2022.
Chelsea are expected to announce a new head coach in the coming days, with Liam Rosenior, currently manager at Chelsea’s partner club Strasbourg, which has been acquired by Todd Boley and Clearlake Capital’s Bruco Group, one of the few candidates being considered to replace him.
Sky Sports News reported that Maresca was on the verge of exiting Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea, who face Manchester City live on Sky Sports on Sunday, confirmed the news in a statement on New Year’s Day.
It read: “Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted ways.
“During his time at the club, Enzo led the team to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. These achievements are an important part of the club’s recent history and we are grateful for his contribution to the club.”
“Enzo and the club believe the changes will give the team the best chance of getting the season back on track, as important objectives remain across four competitions, including qualification for the Champions League.”
Chelsea permanent manager led by Todd Boley
Sunday, January 4th 5pm
5:30pm kickoff
Strained relationships, bad results, and cryptic comments.
Maresca joined Chelsea in June 2024 and won the Club World Cup and Conference League, as well as finishing fourth in the Premier League last season and qualifying for the Champions League.
However, Maresca’s relationship with key figures at the club has been strained since this time last year.
His absence from the post-match press conference after Tuesday’s chaotic 2-2 draw with Bournemouth was another sign of problems behind the scenes, even if his absence was due to illness.
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Free to watch: Highlights of the Premier League match between Chelsea and Bournemouth
The Italian player stood by his comments 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.
His comments came days after reports surfaced that Maresca could replace Josep Guardiola at Manchester City, but Maresca said the link was “100 per cent speculation”.
Maresca’s stock was high after Chelsea beat Barcelona 3-0 in November to remain three points clear of the top of the table, but Chelsea have fallen off the pace of the Premier League and lackluster performances against Aston Villa and Bournemouth over the holidays have added to the pressure.
Maresca, who previously served as Guardiola’s assistant, was appointed Chelsea manager on a five-year contract in June 2024, replacing Mauricio Pochettino. He left the Etihad to join Leicester in 2023, where he won the Championship title.
Why Maresca left Chelsea
Analysis by Kabe Solhekol of Sky Sports News:
“It has been portrayed as a mutual decision.
“It’s very rare for a manager or a head coach to resign because usually they don’t get paid. But Maresca is a very proud person. I think he feels he can’t keep his job at Chelsea.”
“At the same time, Chelsea felt that now was the right time for a change.
“The first reason? Results. They simply weren’t good enough. Chelsea have won just one of their last seven Premier League games and have dropped 20 points from the league and Champions League places this season.”
“The second reason is that there were some behind-the-scenes disagreements about the procedure for returning injured players to the game. Chelsea have an independent medical department that has the final say. From Chelsea’s point of view, the head coach will never have the final say on that.”
“From Chelsea’s point of view, another reason is that Maresca has been linked with other jobs such as Juventus and Manchester City. There may have been a feeling within the club that these links were a distraction and coincided with a decline in form and results.”
“There were clues that all was not well behind the scenes, including on Tuesday night when Maresca did not give a post-match press conference after the draw with Bournemouth because he was unwell.
“That added to the sense of instability at the club, but there is a feeling that things have not been going well at the club for some time.
“This is Chelsea we’re talking about. There’s always something going on, but the owners want to step out of that and bring in someone as head coach who will coach the team and buy into the way the club is run. Someone who won’t deviate from the script.”
Key players at Todd Boley’s Chelsea squad
Will Rosenia be next after Chelsea?
Liam Rosenior is currently the manager of Strasbourg
The 41-year-old Englishman has been floated as a possible replacement for Maresca at Stamford Bridge.
During his 16-year playing career, Rosenior played for the likes of Bristol City, Fulham, Reading, Hull City and Brighton & Hove Albion.
After retiring in 2018, Rosenior almost led Hull to the Championship play-offs in 2024 before becoming head coach of Strasbourg, part of Chelsea’s parent company Bruco. The French club finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season.
“There are high expectations for Liam Rozenier,” says Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekor.
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Manager Clinton Morrison has paid tribute to Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior and believes he could be a good asset for Chelsea.
“Will Chelsea be worried about his lack of experience? His only managerial experience in English football was at Hull City. But I was told: ‘Look at Enzo Maresca’.”
“There is a feeling at Chelsea that relying on Rosenior is not too much of a risk, but of course it would be a big step up for him to move from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg to become manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“But Rosenior is just one of the candidates.”
Your thoughts on Maresca leaving Chelsea
“Myopic American ownership is causing problems again. Spend more than five minutes with the manager.” (Arsenal fan Alan)
“Maresca will be the top manager at the top and this is a big mistake. I will go back to Lampard and give him time. I think the fans will be quick to cooperate and I will be patient with the project where the legend is in charge” (Davec 92).
“What Chelsea need right now is certainly consistency. How does changing managers every time they have a bad game help?” (Wilbur Mudie)
“Why are Chelsea’s owners so impatient? Maresca has coached a young team phenomenally. Were they expecting a title challenge? Fourth place and two points difference at the halfway point is not a disaster. (Ciaran)”
“We need a manager who can pick a starting XI and stick with it. We also need a manager who can bring out the best in Cole Palmer again. I strongly believe we need a new No. 9. I don’t think the Strasbourg manager is the right choice.” (Ash)
Chelsea January fixtures
Maresca’s successor will inherit a team that will compete on four fronts.
Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League and on track to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, with a draw in the third round of the FA Cup at Charlton this month and a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal. It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
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)
