Enzo Maresca: Chelsea part company with head coach amid poor run of form
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Updated 01/01/2026 at 13:39 GMT
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Enzo Maresca has left his position as Chelsea head coach after a run of poor results. Maresca became Blues boss in June 2024 after the Italian guided Leicester City to promotion from the Championship. Chelsea now seek a seventh managerial appointment in as many years and the fifth since American investor Todd Boehly and private firm Clearlake Capital bought the club in May 2022.
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Chelsea have sacked head coach Enzo Maresca after 18 months in charge of the Premier League side.
There had reportedly been a breakdown in the relationship between the Italian and the board, with Maresca missing the post-match press conference after Chelsea's draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday.
It was claimed the Italian had fallen ill, but subsequent reports claimed Maresca was weighing up his future.
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An emergency board meeting was held with sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, as well as co-owner Behdad Eghbali on New Year's Day.
The outcome resulted in a parting of ways, as Chelsea prepare for a huge Premier League clash away at Manchester City on Sunday.
All has not seemingly been well behind the scenes for some time, as Maresca previously stated he experienced "the worst 48 hours since I joined the club" after a 2-0 win over Everton last month.
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The club wrote on their official website: "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."
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Maresca enjoyed an impressive first season in charge following his appointment in June 2024, winning a UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup double.
He also steered The Blues to a fourth-place finish and a return to the UEFA Champions League.
However, an alarming slump in form this season and growing tensions behind the scenes have made Maresca's position untenable.
Focus will now turn to Maresca's replacement, with Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior among the names rumoured to be under consideration.
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Maresca out at Chelsea - but how did we get here?
Following the dramatic exit of the Italian coach, we look back on the timeline that took Maresca from glory to a sudden departure at Stamford Bridge.
Conference League win - May 29, 2025
Chelsea ended the season qualifying for the Champions League as they recovered from their mid-season collapse, and also added their first trophy under Maresca.
It may not have been the most glamorous trophy up for grabs, but a 4-1 win over Real Betis was nonetheless evidence that the manager had assembled a competent team with the potential to go further.
Club World Cup victory - July 13, 2025
That potential was realised when Chelsea won the coveted, inaugural extended Club World Cup in the United States.
Chelsea were unbeaten as they defeated Flamengo, ES Tunis and Benfica in the group stage, before taking care of Palmeiras and Fluminense in the knockouts to set up a final against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
A 3-0 victory earned them glory and a huge prize pot, but there are suggestions that the fatigue from the tournament has caught up with the squad this season.
Colwill outburst - August 15, 2025
When Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Maresca told the press that he wanted the club to dip back into the transfer market for reinforcements, but had been told that he would have to make do with options already at the club.
"The club know exactly what I think," he said. "I think we need a central defender. We are looking for an internal solution but, as I said, the club know exactly what I think."
It may have been here that the Italian started to grow restless as he started his second season with the club.
The "bomb squad" left on the sidelines included Ben Chilwell (now on loan at Strasbourg) and Axel Disasi, with neither defender given the chance to provide cover.
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‘Worst' 48 hours - December 12, 2025
"The last 48 hours have been the worst since I joined the club because many people didn't support me and the team," announced Maresca to the press, minutes after a 2-0 win over Everton.
Looking back, it appears this was the moment that the relationship between club and coach became irreconcilably broken. Maresca failed to clarify what he meant in subsequent exchanges and conferences, and other reports suggested club insiders were left baffled by the cause. Whatever the problem was, it appears not to have been fixed.
Rumours of City interest - December 19, 2025
A report from The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed that Enzo Maresca, a former assistant coach to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, had been tipped as a replacement for the Catalan should he depart at the end of the season.
Maresca denied the reports, but another story soon followed, suggesting that Manchester United would also consider him should they wish to replace Ruben Amorim.
New year, new manager - January 1, 2026
On New Year’s Day, Chelsea confirmed that Maresca had left the club, and they would now focus on replacing him.
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