Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca reigns amid  breakdown in trust

Enzo Maresca has left Chelsea following a bitter end to 2025, bringing to a close a spell that promised success but ultimately unravelled amid deteriorating results and a widening rift with the club’s hierarchy.

The 45-year-old Italian departs with Chelsea fifth in the Premier League, less than six months after lifting the Club World Cup at the end of his first season in charge. Despite remaining in contention for Champions League qualification and competing across four tournaments, both sides agreed that a change was necessary.

“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,” Chelsea said in a statement.

On the pitch, Chelsea’s form had faltered. The Blues managed just one win in their final seven league matches of 2025, collecting six points in December and slipping 15 points behind leaders Arsenal. Yet insiders suggest the split was driven as much by internal tensions as by results.

Maresca had initially earned the confidence of Chelsea’s decision-makers, including sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart and co-owner Behdad Eghbali, after delivering a top-four finish and winning the Uefa Conference League and Club World Cup. However, harmony quickly gave way to friction.

The relationship strained further after Maresca publicly complained about his treatment following a 2-0 win over Everton, describing it as his “worst 48 hours” at the club. The remarks, made without prior consultation, unsettled staff and frustrated senior executives who felt grievances should be handled privately.

Disagreements also emerged over Maresca’s conduct off the pitch. He sought to publish a book and appeared at an Italian sports festival without club approval, while also openly questioning recruitment decisions—particularly the failure to sign a replacement centre-back after Levi Colwill’s pre-season knee injury.

There were additional signs of distancing. Maresca changed agents, was linked – uncomfortably for Chelsea – to Manchester City as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola, and increasingly avoided wearing club attire. After his final match, a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on 30 December, he skipped post-match media duties, officially due to illness but understood to reflect his growing frustration.

Symbolically, Maresca was absent from Chelsea’s New Year’s Eve social media video reviewing the club’s year, reinforcing perceptions of an irreparable breakdown.

From Maresca’s viewpoint, the pressure he faced was unjustified. He believed expectations around a young squad were unrealistic, particularly given injuries to key players such as Colwill and Cole Palmer, and felt that interference in team selection crossed a red line.

Chelsea had planned to reassess his position at the end of the season if performances improved, but Maresca’s dissatisfaction hastened the split. The Blues now turn to a difficult run of fixtures – starting against Manchester City and followed by clashes with Arsenal and Napoli – as they attempt to steady their season in the wake of his departure.