Enzo Maresca’s tumultuous season at Chelsea has led to a dramatic end, and the Blues are searching for a new manager to open 2026.
Chelsea said in a statement that they’ve “parted company” with Maresca, who skipped media duties after the club’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday as assistant Willy Caballero said the Italian was ill.
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In his first season in charge Maresca led Chelsea back to the UEFA Champions League with a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and won two trophies, the Club World Cup and the Conference League. The Blues sit fifth on the Premier League table but have won just once in their last seven PL games.
Sky Sports says Chelsea are hoping to act quickly to secure a replacement, and note Liam Rosenior as one of the candidates. The former Fulham and Hull City player managed Hull City from 2022-24 before leading Ligue 1 side Strasbourg to the Conference League last season. Strasbourg are owned by BlueCo, the consortium that owns Chelsea.
Chelsea statement on Enzo Maresca leaving club
From Chelseafc.com
“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.”
What went wrong for Enzo Maresca at Chelsea?
Maresca’s Blues made great strides under his leadership last season, and the Club World Cup triumph heightened expectations for the 2025-26 Premier League season.
Chelsea had largely delivered on those hopes early in the season, and even inspired some talk about Premier League title contention when they followed up an inspiring UCL win over Barcelona with a brave 10-man draw with leaders Arsenal in November.
But Maresca made waves in mid-December when he praised his players while making cryptic comments about the support for him and his side during a slump.
Sky’s Kaveh Solhekol says a few things have dogged former Parma and Leicester City boss Maresca. From his bosses’ perspective, losing 20 points from leading positions this season and rumors of a future at Juventus and Manchester City weren’t ideal. Solhekol also says that Maresca was unhappy with not having the final say on injured players’ ability to play.
Maresca also publicly stated his desire for Chelsea to add a new center back after Levi Colwill suffered an ACL tear this summer.
