Chelsea are reportedly preparing to seek compensation from Manchester City if they proceed with appointing Enzo Maresca, and they may pursue legal action if no agreement is reached.
Officials at Stamford Bridge are said to be angered by Maresca amid claims that he held discussions with Manchester City while still employed by Chelsea. Following his departure in what is described as a strained split, he is now expected to replace Pep Guardiola, whose exit was revealed by Daily Mail Sport.
Chelsea are reportedly ready to escalate the matter if necessary, potentially lodging a complaint with the Premier League, which could then launch an investigation.
Last month, Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali addressed Maresca’s exit at a conference in Los Angeles, saying: ‘The change wasn’t the club’s decision,’ for reasons I can’t speak about legally’. He also added: ‘I think the reasons will become kind of clear in due course. But no, it’s not a change we wanted to make. It’s a change that’s had a bit of a negative impact on the season, when you’re changing systems and personnel. And it’s one we’ve got to fight our way out of.’
Maresca left Chelsea on January 2 after his position became unstable, especially after he skipped post-match media duties following a draw against Bournemouth.
At that point, the club had been second in the table before a poor run of results contributed to his exit. His replacement, Liam Rosenior, was unable to improve results, and a caretaker manager is now overseeing the remainder of what has been a disappointing season.
Before his time at Leicester City, Maresca worked at Manchester City as an Under-23 coach and later as assistant to Guardiola during the 2022–23 season.
After leading Leicester to the Championship title, he also went on to win the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup during his spell at Chelsea.
However, his relationship with the club reportedly worsened, with Chelsea even taking unusual steps such as placing a member of medical staff on the bench to ensure Maresca removed players returning from injury at agreed times.
Meanwhile, Manchester City are set to host a parade this weekend on Monday, where fans will reportedly be able to farewell Guardiola, who has won 17 major trophies during his decade at the club.
City face Bournemouth tonight knowing that anything other than a win would hand the title to Arsenal.
