In a sudden change of managers, Chelsea has terminated the 18 months of the tenure of Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge. The Italian managed to bring the club to historic victories, yet the relationships with the hierarchy hastened his exit.
Maresca, who was appointed in June 2024, originally performed well, leading Chelsea to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and to the Champions League. He also successfully attracted the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, which is mentioned in the official statement of the club.
Nevertheless, this season, Chelsea’s form has failed, and in the past 7 matches of the Premier League, they have only won one. The club is currently in 15th position, 15 points away from the leaders Arsenal, putting more pressure on Maresca in the last few weeks of the season.
This division was characterized by both parties, in the statement by Chelsea, with four competitions yet to play in, Enzo and the club feel a change will give the team the best chance to put the season back on the right track. This underscores the fact that this decision is made based on internal relationships, and not only on results.
Off the record, things were getting heated because Maresca was not happy with the club in public, had meddled with the choice of his staff, and was reportedly talking with Manchester City about further roles.
He also allegedly changed agents and failed to attend post-match media, which is an indication of a broken relationship with the club hierarchy. The situation was observed by the board of Chelsea since September, despite the recent trophy victory of Maresca.
The focus is now shifted to the following manager of Chelsea. Liam Rosenior, who is at the sister club, Strasbourg, is the early favorite by a number of outlets. He has shone in the Ligue1 taking Strasbourg to a good mid-table finish, which has made him a viable internal candidate.
Other alleged names are Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth, Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace, Cesc FÃ bregas of Como, and Francesco Farioli of Porto. Chelsea are in need of a new manager, and probably they will have one in place before their next match in the Premier League against Manchester City.
This departure is a continuation of the pattern of brief managerial tenures since Todd Boehly and Clearlake purchased the club. Now, Chelsea fans will hope that the new appointment will bring back some stability at the same time the team is yet to achieve both domestic and European goals.
