Enzo Maresca: Chelsea manager leaves Premier League club after 19 months
Chelsea confirmed Enzo Maresca's exit in a brief statement
Manager Enzo Maresca has left Chelsea after a tempestuous end to his 19 months in charge at the Premier League club.
Italian Maresca was booed by supporters during the 2-2 draw at home to 15th-placed Bournemouth on Tuesday, which extended the Blues’ poor league run to one win in nine matches and left them 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.
“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,” Chelsea said.
In cryptic remarks after Chelsea’s 2-0 home win over Everton on December 13, Maresca said the preceding 48 hours had been “the hardest” since he joined the club “because so many people didn’t support me and the team.”
The 45-year-old said his comments were not about fans but has refused to elaborate on them or clarify the subject of his disgruntlement.
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Enzo Maresca: Why has manager left Chelsea?
Maresca had a “complete breakdown in his relationship” with Chelsea, who “had their patience tested” by his tactical decisions and behaviour off the pitch, according to the Guardian.
Assistant manager Willy Caballero said Maresca had been unwell for two days when the Argentine assumed media duties after the draw with the Cherries, but the report cited claims that Maresca had opted not to appear because he was “considering his options after growing dissatisfied with elements of the Chelsea project”, adding that his absence created “further tensions”.
Chelsea are said to have been considering sacking Maresca in January if their poor form continued. They are in the seeded positions for a Champions League knockout phase play-off place after taking 10 points from the first six games of their European campaign, two points behind the automatic last-16 spots and four ahead of the elimination positions.
Next Chelsea manager: Liam Rosenior among candidates
Liam Rosenior, who played most of his games as a Premier League full-back for Chelsea’s neighbours, Fulham, is the heavy favourite to succeed Maresca.
The 41-year-old has impressed since taking over at partner club Strasbourg in July 2024, narrowly missing out on Champions League or Europa League qualification in his first season, with Les Bleu et Blanc finishing seventh and entering the Conference League.
Strasbourg occupy the same position this season after winning seven, losing seven and drawing two of their first 16 league matches, as well as qualifying for the knockout stage of the Conference League at the top of the table by two points, winning five times and losing once in Europe.
Enzo Maresca Chelsea record
A midfielder for clubs including West Bromwich Albion, Juventus, Fiorentina, Sevilla and Olympiacos during a senior playing career from 1998 to 2017, Maresca started his managerial career with a brief spell at Italian side Parma in 2021 and became one of Pep Guardiola’s assistants at Manchester City in June 2022.
A move to Championship side Leicester City as manager followed in June 2023, winning the second-tier title and promotion to the top flight.
In Maresca’s only full season, Chelsea sealed fourth place on the final day of their league campaign to return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2021/22 season and won the Conference League.
They won the Club World Cup in New Jersey in July 2025, beating Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final.
Will Enzo Maresca become Man City manager?
Following his Chelsea exit, Maresca was joint-favourite with Cityzens legend and Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany to succeed Pep Guardiola at City.
Among a haul of trophies, Guardiola has won the Premier League six times and the 2022/23 Champions League since arriving in 2016.
City’s dominance has waned since the start of the 2024/25 season, in which a dreadful run of form kept them out of contention to defend their title and made their qualification for the Champions League a struggle.
The Spaniard frequently cut a beleaguered figure as City failed to win a trophy. They were five points behind the Gunners in second with a game in hand at the time of Chelsea’s announcement.