Maresca parts ways with Chelsea after tumultous last 2 days that seen him admit to having talks with Man City.
Enzo Maresca parts ways with Chelsea after holding talks over Manchester City move.
After disclosing to Chelsea that he had discussed replacing Pep Guardiola with individuals connected to Manchester City, Enzo Maresca abruptly left the team.
Since Maresca’s relationship with the board began to show signs of deterioration last month, Chelsea has been plagued by uncertainty. However, there is a sense at Stamford Bridge that the Italian was trying to engineer an exit before a parting of the ways was confirmed on Thursday morning, New Year’s Day.
Although Maresca’s decisions during games were deeply unpopular, his behaviour off the field was the greater problem. Since he made cryptic remarks about having his “worst 48 hours” at the club following the victory over Everton on December 13, the situation has been unstable.
There was mystery surrounding those comments, but now there’s more information: Maresca told his superiors twice in late October and again in the days following the Everton match that he had talked about taking Guardiola’s place should the Spaniard leave City at the end of the current campaign. During the 2022–2023 season, Maresca worked as Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad.
Maresca tried to exploit interest from City and Juventus as leverage for a new contract after agreeing to a severance compensation. In June 2029, his contract was set to expire. Chelsea did not initiate negotiations because they were not impressed with the request.
It is believed that on Thursday morning, Maresca, who has been in charge for eighteen months, bid farewell to the players and staff. On Sunday, Chelsea, who have only won one of their last seven games and are currently fifth in the Premier League, will go to City. The manager of Strasbourg, Liam Rosenior, is a strong candidate to succeed Maresca. Chelsea’s partner club is Strasbourg.
“Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company,” read a statement. “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.”