Enzo Maresca left Chelsea after a period of intense tension in which a relationship broke down behind the scenes and the Italian manager decided his own fate.
In 17 days, the relationship between Enzo Maresca and Chelsea has dissolved.
Normally, just one problem is enough to get most Premier League managers sent off, but Maresca’s fate was ultimately sealed after a series of problems. Maresca’s 18-month reign saw them win the Club World Cup and Conference League, while the 45-year-old also led Chelsea back to the Champions League with an impressive debut campaign that saw the Blues finish fourth.
However, his position became untenable after he decided to go head-to-head with the Chelsea board, leaving him with no choice as his relationship with the Italian player had completely broken down.
read more: Enzo Maresca quits Chelsea after breaking up managerial contractread more: Chelsea manager has five options to replace Enzo Maresca after he quits amid turmoil
Mirror Football can reveal that Maresca was wrong after the following.
The Chelsea manager claimed on December 13 that the days leading up to the 2-0 win against Everton were the “worst 48 hours” of his time at the club. The manager demanded final say and said medical officials ignored advice to rest players when they felt they were vulnerable to injury. Chelsea’s performance became clear in December, with just one win in seven Premier League games, dropping them 15 points and languishing in fifth place in the table. Days after Josep Guardiola called Maresca “the best in the world”, someone suddenly linked him with the Manchester City job. His profile in the media is very low, which is important for a big club like Chelsea. On 30 December, after a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, he did not appear at the post-match press conference, and it was later revealed that illness was just an excuse.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for Maresca. Maresca was not a big name like Jose Mourinho or Carlo Ancelotti, so it will always take time to convince Chelsea fans who have been expecting him to succeed.
Maresca’s path of self-destruction effectively ended his hopes of being a long-term manager just as supporters began to warm to the manager after a win over Barcelona in the Champions League.
There is growing dissatisfaction at board level as co-owners Todd Boley and Behadad Egbari and sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart have given him full support both publicly and privately.
That’s why his “48 hours” comments after the home win against Everton came as a shock and surprise. Maresca was talking about the two days after Chelsea blew a 1-0 lead and lost 2-1 to Atalanta, but repeatedly refused to explain what it meant.
But at the heart of the behind-the-scenes troubles is the feeling that at most clubs the medical department must guide managers on fitness issues. This is especially important as Chelsea face an incredible number of games last year after not having a proper summer due to the Club World Cup.
However, Maresca is believed to have wanted to give his players the final say, even though doctors were concerned about the risk of fatigue. In a 99-word statement announcing Maresca’s sacking, Chelsea said they felt changes were necessary to ensure a return to next season’s Champions League.
And a week with so much promise after beating Barcelona and holding Arsenal in despite being reduced to 10 men due to Moises Caicedo’s red card, all came crashing down after a 3-1 thrashing against Leeds.
Maresca’s accomplishments definitely did not get the recognition they deserved. Other coaches say he is a great tactician and that Chelsea are one of the best teams in Europe at building play. Perhaps that was why Maresca’s ego was happy to be linked with the City job so soon after the Italian changed agents.
However, reports that this could be Guardiola’s final season at Manchester City have sparked strong suspicions that something is going on behind the scenes at Chelsea. For a manager contracted until 2029 and mindful of Chelsea’s own status as a European superpower, the story could not have ended well.
And despite last season’s impressive triumph, which saw him win the Club World Cup, finish in the top four and lift the Europa Conference League trophy, Maresca still didn’t have enough credibility in the bank to win a battle of wills with the club’s hierarchy.
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