Why Enzo Maresca Was Sacked by Chelsea
Enzo Maresca’s dismissal landed like a lump of coal under Chelsea fans’ Christmas tree — an unexpected “gift” wrapped in festive paper. The Maresca project in London is officially over.
And judging purely by sporting results, the decision looks strange. Let’s break down why everything collapsed so quickly, even though back in July, Chelsea thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final.
Maresca joined Chelsea in the summer of 2024, fresh off winning the Championship with Leicester and for a compensation fee of £10 million. It was clear from the start: he wasn’t hired as a firefighter but as an architect. The Italian really was building something. Fourth place in the Premier League, a Conference League trophy, and that Club World Cup victory in the U.S., where Chelsea dismantled PSG 3–0 in the final. Two trophies in one season. The youngest squad in the league. Fifty-five wins in ninety-two matches.
For most clubs, that would be a clear signal to extend the contract and hand the coach a lifetime supply of trust. For today’s Chelsea, it was just a reason to open the list of complaints.
The problems didn’t start when the team began losing — they started when Chelsea stopped winning when it mattered most. By the end of the year, the club had managed just one win in seven Premier League matches. The gap to Arsenal grew to 15 points, and a 2–2 draw with Bournemouth proved to be the final straw.
The Stamford Bridge crowd greeted that result with boos. Cole Palmer’s substitution in the 63rd minute was met with irritation. Maresca’s absence from the post-match press conference only deepened suspicions. The official explanation was “illness.” Unofficially — the club and the coach were already speaking different languages.
In mid-December, after a 2–0 win over Everton, Maresca gave a statement that England read better than any league table: “The last 48 hours have been the worst since I came to the club. Many people haven’t supported me or the team.”
Formally, it sounded like fatigue. In reality, it was a public signal of a rift. Maresca later tried to soften the blow, speaking of his love for the fans, but the words had already made the headlines — and headlines rarely walk back.
The true reason behind the split lay deeper than results. Maresca sincerely believed that a successful first season with two trophies would grant him more independence.
But Chelsea’s model under Boehly and Clearlake Capital doesn’t allow for full managerial autonomy. Squad rotation, youth emphasis, transfer priorities — all remained under board control. Maresca, for his part, made no effort to hide his frustration: he publicly criticized the decision not to sign an experienced center-back after Levi Colwill’s injury.
The answer from upstairs was cold and pragmatic: “We can’t block the development of 19-year-old Josh Achimpong.” At that moment, it became clear — their philosophies didn’t align.
According to The Athletic, some inside the club were also surprised that Maresca occasionally ignored medical staff recommendations on post-injury minutes management. Meanwhile, the coach started building his own media presence — planning a book, giving interviews without club approval, and switching to Jorge Mendes’ agency.
Then came the Manchester City rumors. Maresca publicly denied any interest and pointed to his contract running until 2029, but insiders claim he had informed Chelsea about contacts with City representatives in both October and December. For the board, that was less transparency and more a warning sign.
In the end, everything converged: the dip in results, the tension in the stands, the public remarks, internal disagreements, and the growing sense that the coach was mentally halfway out of London already. Thus, Maresca became the first Premier League manager ever to be sacked on January 1 — not with a dramatic door slam, but with a quiet, heavy gesture — that same lump of coal under the tree.
So, there it is. Two trophies. The youngest squad in the league. Several big wins — and the feeling that this project ended long before it should have. Maresca wasn’t sacked because he lost. He was sacked because at Chelsea, he didn’t win enough to stay in charge.
Published by Patrick Jane
02.01.2026