Enzo Maresca: Chelsea head coach leaves Stamford Bridge with replacement set to be announced imminently
Maresca departs having won the Club World Cup and the Conference League; Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League, 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal; Blues have won once in their last seven top-flight games; Chelsea expect to announce a new head coach in a matter of days
Thursday 1 January 2026 18:05, UK
Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior is the leading candidate for the Chelsea head coach role following Enzo Maresca's exit after 18 months in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are unlikely to pursue Oliver Glasner, Cesc Fabregas, Andoni Iraola or Roberto De Zerbi, with Rosenior now considered the frontrunner for the job.
Sky Sports News has reported that Maresca's exit was unanimously agreed by Chelsea's board and the club expect to announce his successor in a matter of days.
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.
In a staggering development, Chelsea have briefed that Maresca lacked 'mental fortitude and emotional maturity', according to Sky Sports Football.
Maresca's exit means Chelsea are looking for a fourth permanent managerial appointment since American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital bought the club in May 2022.
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Sky Sports News had reported that Maresca was on the brink of a Stamford Bridge exit and Chelsea - who face Manchester City live on Sky Sports on Sunday - confirmed the news in a statement on New Year's Day.
It read: "Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company.
"During his time at the club, Enzo led the team to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. 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."
'Chelsea claim Maresca lacked 'mental fortitude' and 'emotional maturity'
Sky Sports' Dave Jones:
"This isn't an official statement, but this is what is coming out of the club:
"The 48 hour comment was directed at the medical team at Stamford Bridge that he wasn't happy with.
"There is a suggestion Maresca went against the advice of the medical team at Chelsea on a number occasions. Playing players returning from injury longer than advised, leading to them being re-injured this season.
"This is what is being briefed this evening...
"He did not face the media on Tuesday and he wasn't ill we are being told. It is also being briefed that he spoke to Manchester City and Juventus since October. Despite briefing the club, they thought it was disrespectful.
"The feeling at Chelsea is that he has a lack of mental fortitude and emotional maturity."
Strained relations, poor results and cryptic comments
Maresca joined Chelsea in June 2024 and won the Club World Cup and Conference League, as well as achieving a fourth-placed Premier League finish last season to secure Champions League qualification.
But relations have been strained between Maresca and key figures at the club going back to this time last year.
Missing his post-match press conference after a chaotic 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday was another sign of the problems behind the scenes, even though his absence was attributed to illness.
The Italian stood by the comments he made on December 13 when he claimed that many people at the club were not supporting him or the team.
He described the days leading up to the 2-0 victory over Everton as "the worst 48 hours" of his time at the club.
A few days after his comments, reports emerged that Maresca could replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City - links which Maresca described as "100 per cent speculation".
Maresca's stock was high after Chelsea beat Barcelona 3-0 in November and sat three points off the top of the table, but Chelsea have dropped off the Premier League pace and lacklustre performances against Aston Villa and Bournemouth over the holiday period increased the pressure.
Maresca, who served as an assistant to Guardiola, was appointed Chelsea head coach in June 2024 on a five-year contract, replacing Mauricio Pochettino. He had left the Etihad to join Leicester in 2023, where he won the Championship title.
The reasons why Maresca has departed Chelsea
Analysis from Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:
"It has been painted as a mutual decision.
"It is very rare for managers or head coaches to resign because typically they don't get a payoff, but Maresca is someone who is very proud. I think he feels that he could not carry on working at Chelsea.
"At the same time, Chelsea felt that now was the right time for a change.
"The first reason? Results. They simply have not been good enough. Chelsea have won only one of their past seven Premier League games and they have dropped 20 points from winning positions in the league and Champions League this season.
"The second reason is because there have been disagreements behind the scenes about return-to-play protocols for injured players. Chelsea have an independent medical department who have the final say. From Chelsea's point of view, their head coach will never have the final say when it comes to that.
"Another reason, from Chelsea's perspective, is Maresca being linked with other jobs like Juventus and Manchester City. There may have been a sense from inside the club that these links were a distraction and coincided with a dip in form and results.
"There have been clues that not all has been well behind the scenes, such as Tuesday night when Maresca did not hold a post-match press conference after the draw with Bournemouth because, we were told, he was ill.
"It has added to a sense of volatility at the club but the sense is that things have not been right at the club for some time.
"This is Chelsea we are talking about - there is always something happening and the owners want to get away from that and get in someone as a head coach who is going to coach the team and buy into how the club is run - somebody is who is not going to go off-script."
Rosenior next for Chelsea?
The 41-year-old Englishman has emerged as a potential replacement for Maresca at Stamford Bridge.
Rosenior played for the likes of Bristol City, Fulham, Reading, Hull City and Brighton & Hove Albion during a 16-year playing career.
After hanging up his boots in 2018, Rosenior almost guided Hull to the Championship play-offs in 2024 and then became head coach of Strasbourg, who are owned by Chelsea's parent company BlueCo. The French club finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season.
"There is expectation around Liam Rosenior," says Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol.
"Would Chelsea be worried that he is inexperienced? His only managerial experience in English football has been at Hull City. But I was told: 'Look at Enzo Maresca'.
"There is a feeling at Chelsea that it wouldn't be that much of a risk to turn to Rosenior, but of course it would be a massive step up for him, to go from Strasbourg in Ligue 1 to managing one of the biggest clubs in the world.
"Rosenior, however, is just one of the candidates."
