LONDON: Chelsea parted ways with Enzo Maresca on Thursday, a dramatic fall from grace for the Italian who was named manager of the month for November before the club won just one of their last seven league matches to crash out of the Premier League title race.
The Italian, who joined Chelsea in 2024 after leading Leicester City to promotion to the Premier League, leaves 18 months to the day since he was tasked with reviving the club’s fortunes after two years of failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Maresca ultimately guided the London side to Champions League qualification with a fourth-place finish, the Conference League trophy and the Club World Cup title in his first season with a young but expensive team.
But poor form in December and an unusual outburst from the Italian prompted the club’s hierarchy to act and part ways with the 45-year-old coach.
“Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted ways,” the club said in a statement. “With key objectives still to be achieved in four competitions, including qualification for the Champions League, Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track.”
Chelsea were third in November and among the title contenders, high on confidence after also crushing Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.
But they have since slipped to fifth place in the league, 15 points behind leaders Arsenal at mid-season.
Last month, Maresca expressed his frustration at problems behind the scenes, saying he felt a lack of support from the club, describing a period after a 2-0 win over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” of his tenure.
The Italian did not specify what he meant by the comment, but the damage appeared to have been done as Chelsea’s league form collapsed.
Although Chelsea beat Cardiff City to reach the League Cup semi-finals, they have only picked up two points from their last three Premier League games.
Off the pitch there was also the unwelcome distraction of negative links with the Manchester City job, with Maresca pointing out that he was committed to Chelsea where he has a contract until 2029.
But Tuesday’s 2-2 home draw against Bournemouth – where fans chanted “You don’t know what you’re doing” when he replaced playmaker Cole Palmer as they also booed at the final whistle – turned out to be his last game in charge.
Maresca did not attend the post-match press conference, although his absence was attributed to illness. The draw meant Chelsea lost 13 points at home after winning this season.
The club did not say who would take charge ahead of Sunday’s match against second-placed Manchester City.
Liam Rosenior, the coach of French club Strasbourg, owned by BlueCo, Chelsea’s parent company, a consortium led by American billionaire businessman Todd Boehly, is a candidate to replace Maresca, even though the Englishman is a relatively young manager (41) and lacks Premier League experience.
Other potential suitors to succeed Maresca at Stamford Bridge include former Barcelona head coach Xavi, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, Fulham’s Marco Silva and Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
Published in Dawn, January 2, 2026
