Maresca leaves Chelsea after troubled end to 2025

Enzo Maresca has left Chelsea.

The club confirmed the 45-year-old’s departure on New Year’s Day. It came after Maresca’s relationship with the Blues hierarchy had deteriorated.

“Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company,” a statement read.

During Maresca’s 18-month spell at the helm, Chelsea won the Uefa Conference League and the Fifa Club World Cup.

The club’s statement added: “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.”

Chelsea have won just one of their past seven Premier League matches, and sit fifth in the table to begin 2026.

Maresca faced boos from some sections of the home support in their most recent outing – a disappointing 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on December 30 – and did not appear for his post-match press conference.

Assistant coach Willy Caballero said on the night that the Italian felt too unwell to speak to the media.

But relations behind the scenes had been strained for some time, and first became public when he Maresca declared after a win against Everton early in December that he had faced his “worst 48 hours” at the club prior to the game.

Chelsea’s next match is away to Manchester City, on Sunday, with games against Arsenal and Napoli to follow in a difficult January.