Enzo Maresca has stepped down from his role as Chelsea manager with the club sitting fifth on the English Premier League table.
Chelsea management said in a statement on Thursday: “Enzo and the club believe that a change will give the team the best chance of getting the season back on track.”
The Blues have won only one of their last seven league matches and picked up just six points from six games in December, leaving them 15 points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Maresca, whose contract was meant to run until 2029, had impressed senior figures at Stamford Bridge including sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, as well as co-owner Behdad Eghbali after guiding Chelsea to a top-four finish last season and winning both the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup.
Maresca shocked many in an interview after Chelsea 2-0 win over Everton in December when he said that “many people” had given him the “worst 48 hours” since joining the club.
The comments came without warning to club staff or senior management, who would have preferred the issue to remain private.
Problems had been brewing for months before then.
Maresca had hoped to raise his profile following Chelsea’s recent success by pursuing opportunities outside the club.
He planned to publish a book before being blocked, and he also spoke at Il Festival dello Sport an Italian Sports event without the club’s permission.
He also publicly disagreed with the club’s decision not to sign a central defender after Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during pre-season. The club hierarchy explained that doing so could have prompted academy prospect Josh Acheampong to request a transfer, and Maresca later backed down.
The former Leicester City manager also changed agents, moving from the Wasserman agency to Jorge Mendes, and his name was mentioned as a possible successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City a suggestion later dismissed by Maresca
After his final game, 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on December 30 assistant manager Willy Caballero said Maresca was unwell and unable to attend post-match media duties. However, it was understood that his absence was more due to growing frustration with the club.
Maresca felt the pressure on him was unfair given what he described as difficult working conditions, and he believed the management had crossed a line in attempting to influence team selection.
Although he said he was not unhappy about managing a young squad, he felt supporters’ expectations should have been better managed regarding what was achievable especially due to injuries to Colwill and Cole Palmer.
Chelsea had planned to review Maresca’s position at the end of the season if results improved, but Maresca was no longer satisfied, which became the main reason both parties agreed to part ways.
