Club world champion FC Chelsea and team manager Enzo Maresca are going their separate ways.
“In view of the important goals still outstanding in four competitions, including qualification for the Champions League, Enzo and Chelsea FC are convinced that a change of coach offers the best chance of getting the season back on the road to success,” said the fifth-placed team in the Premier League on Thursday after a crisis meeting.
The club from west London did not provide any information about the successor. Chelsea will face second-placed Manchester City in the top game on Sunday (6.30 p.m./Sky). Chelsea are 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.
The Italian Maresca (45/contract until 2029) took over at Stamford Bridge in July 2024. Pep Guardiola’s former assistant at Man City led the Blues straight into the Champions League in his first season and won the Conference League and the reformed Club World Cup in the USA with the club.
Chelsea have only won two of their nine competitive games since the end of November, one of them in the League Cup against third division Cardiff City. On the other hand, according to the British media, Maresca, who was also considered a possible successor candidate for Arne Slot at Liverpool FC, missed the appreciation of the club management and a significant say in transfers.
Maresca was recently attacked by his own fans in the form of chants, among other things because of the substitution of striker Cole Palmer on Tuesday in the league game against AFC Bournemouth (2:2).