Maresca has been in contact with Manchester City over possibly succeeding Pep Guardiola if he leaves



Enzo Maresca has left his position as Chelsea head coach with immediate effect as club and manager concluded that their increasingly embittered relationship could not continue.

An on-field wobble has been a contributory factor in Maresca's departure, barely 18 months in the five year deal he signed in the summer of 2024, but it was the increasingly strained ties between the Italian and the rest of the club hierarchy which appear to have proven fatal. The now-former Chelsea manager's explosive comments after a 2-0 win over Everton, bemoaning the "worst 48 hours" since joining the club, brought about an extraordinary ratcheting up of tension at Stamford Bridge and the deterioration of relations between the ownership, sporting directors and the head coach.

Maresca's comments, which proceeded links between him and a potential vacancy at Manchester City, proved to be unfortunately timed from his perspective. Chelsea have won just one of their last six Premier League games and sit 15 points behind leaders Arsenal, the second half of the season shaping up to be a battle for Champions League qualification. It was in that context that the club chose to frame the departure of a coach who won them two pieces of silverware in his first season in charge.

"During his time at the club, Enzo led the team to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup," said Chelsea. "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."

Chelsea are expected to move quickly in pursuit of a replacement with Liam Rosenior of sister club Strasbourg a contender for the vacancy. They have not named an interim head coach ahead of Sunday's visit to Manchester City.

Maresca's departure, perhaps at the end of the season, had been a growing possibility throughout a season in which the 45-year-old had not always bitten his tongue when discussing his employers. One of the first public fallouts of the year came when the head coach very publicly pushed for the signing of a new center back following a major injury to Levi Colwill, only for the hierarchy to block that wish over a fear that it would limit minutes for Josh Acheampong, who has struggled to feature regularly under Maresca.

The discord that emerged in the aftermath of the Club World Cup has emerged on further occasions too, none more notable than his outburst after the win against Everton. It was subsequently suggested that Maresca had not taken kindly to feedback on his approach in a defeat to Atalanta while it has since been reported that there had been tension between the Italian and the medical department over the minutes load of some players.

Though Maresca delivered the expected win of the Conference League, a top four finish in the Premier League and a Club World Cup triumph that was capped with a tactical masterclass against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea supporters did not entirely warm to the Italian. Indeed his room to maneuver only shrunk when he and his players were booed off at Stamford Bridge after Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, after which Maresca did not appear for his post-match press conference.

Fan rancor is unlikely to ease with Maresca's departure, however. Both parties might be entitled to question the reconstruction of the squad that delivered a top-four finish last season and are now tracking for nine points fewer. Some of that is explained by injuries to Colwill and Cole Palmer. A bit more by a rash of red cards that may be down to the management of players, but may also be an inevitable function of one of the league's youngest teams.

Plenty more might be down to the recruitment strategy spearheaded by controlling co-owner Behdad Eghbali and carried out by co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. Over his first two seasons at the club Nicolas Jackson had proven himself to be one of the Premier League's most promising young strikers, but was pushed out on loan to make room for Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, neither of whom have impressed. Estevao has lived up to the hype since arriving from Brazil, but it is not at all clear yet that Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho are upgrades on Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho, whose loan Chelsea paid a penalty fee to not turn into a permanent move. Meanwhile it has proven hard for Maresca to find a reliable pairing of young center backs with Colwill sidelined.

As with many of his predecessors -- his successor will be the seventh coach to take charge of Chelsea since BlueCo bought the club in 2022 and the 25th change in manager since the year 2000 -- Maresca will leave Stamford Bridge feeling his long term employment prospects have not been greatly harmed. Tasked with restoring the club to the Champions League, the former Leicester City boss leaves having won the fourth most points in the Premier League since the start of last season and with comfortably the fourth best non-penalty expected goal difference. Victories over PSG, Liverpool and Barcelona pointed to his big game nous, though he struggled to deliver consistent results against the sort of opponents Chelsea were expected to beat.

Once head of their elite development squad and a first team assistant, Maresca may well figure in Manchester City's considerations should Pep Guardiola leave in the summer though CBS Sports sources consider it far from a given that he would secure what would be one of the game's most highly coveted vacancies.

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