Chelsea have dismissed head coach Enzo Maresca following decisive New Year discussions, just days before their high-profile Premier League meeting with Manchester City.
The move was confirmed after emergency talks held on New Year’s Day, prompted by a collapse in the working relationship between Maresca and the club’s hierarchy. Tensions had already surfaced publicly on Tuesday when the Italian was jeered by sections of Chelsea supporters for withdrawing Cole Palmer in the 63rd minute of the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, with some fans chanting: “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
As a result, Maresca will not be in the dugout for Sunday’s trip to the Etihad Stadium. The 45-year-old has previously been linked with a potential return to Manchester City if Pep Guardiola departs in the summer, speculation that intensified after Maresca reportedly stunned club officials with his comments about his “worst 48 hours” and later declined to clarify them.
The encounter with City was set to kick off a demanding January schedule for Chelsea, with nine fixtures lined up, but attention now turns to appointing a new head coach.
Maresca joined Chelsea in the summer of 2024 after an impressive lone season at Leicester City, where he guided the Foxes back to the Premier League by winning the Championship. In his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, he steered the Blues back into the Champions League with a fourth-place finish and lifted the UEFA Conference League.
However, after an encouraging start to his second season, Chelsea’s performances tailed off sharply. The midweek draw with Bournemouth meant the Blues have now surrendered 15 points from winning positions in the league this season — more than any other team. That slump has seen them fall from title contention to fifth place, now closer to Nottingham Forest in 17th than Arsenal at the summit.
Although Chelsea had previously stood by Maresca during a similar downturn last winter, his vague remarks in recent press conferences are understood to have unsettled those behind the scenes. There is a belief within the club that the squad has sufficient quality to achieve a top-four finish.
Signs of strain became more evident after last month’s 2-0 victory over Everton — Chelsea’s only league win in December — when Malo Gusto set up Cole Palmer before scoring himself. Asked about Gusto’s display, Maresca unexpectedly criticised unnamed **“people”** and refused to explain who he meant, though he was careful to single out supporters for praise.
He said: “The last 48 hours have been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us.” He added: “So I’m very happy for Malo, that the effort from Malo and from the rest show that they are all there and they want to help this club.”
Pressed further, Maresca repeated: “Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn’t support me and the team.” He also stressed: “I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans.”
Chelsea’s owners, BlueCo, headed by Todd Boehly, have now moved on to identifying Maresca’s successor.
In a club statement, Chelsea said:
“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.”