Chelsea have announced that head coach Enzo Maresca has left the club after just 18 months in charge, following a run of poor results in the Premier League.
“Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company,” the club said in a statement on Thursday.
The Italian departs with Chelsea fifth in the league table, 15 points behind leaders and London rivals Arsenal, having managed only one win in their last seven top-flight matches.
Maresca departs after a breakdown in relations with the club and a run of disappointing results – one win from the last seven Premier League games – that has left them 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
Maresca is understood to have stepped down because he felt his position was untenable, while Chelsea were already considering sacking the head coach due to poor results, his comments in the media, disagreements with the medical team and reports linking him with other clubs.
Speculation over Maresca’s future had intensified in recent weeks amid reports of a strained relationship between the coach and the club’s hierarchy, as results deteriorated.
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“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,” the Club’s statement read.
Maresca did not attend the post-match press conference after Tuesday’s 2–2 draw with Bournemouth, with the club citing illness as the reason for his absence.
During that match, his decision to substitute Cole Palmer shortly after the hour mark was met with boos from sections of the home supporters.
The draw meant Chelsea have now dropped 13 points from winning positions at home this season, accounting for most of the 15-point gap separating them from Arsenal at the top of the table.
The 45-year-old had previously stood by comments made after a league win over Everton on December 13, when he said that many people at Chelsea “didn’t support me and the team”.
Although he repeatedly declined to elaborate, he insisted the remarks were not aimed at the club’s supporters. He later described the period leading up to the 2–0 victory over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” of his time at Stamford Bridge.
His contract had been due to run until the summer of 2029, with an option for a further year. He was appointed in June 2024 as the successor to Mauricio Pochettino.
Maresca’s exit means Chelsea is looking for a fourth permanent managerial appointment since American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital bought the club in May 2022.
The club are expected to move swiftly to appoint a new head coach. One candidate in the frame is Liam Rosenior, who has impressed in charge of Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg, despite being only 41 and lacking Premier League experience.
Liam Rosenior, currently head coach of French side Strasbourg — who are owned by Chelsea’s parent company, BlueCo, a consortium led by US billionaire Todd Boehly
Former Barcelona coach Xavi, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, Fulham’s Marco Silva and Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola are also being considered as possible successors at Stamford Bridge.