Maresca’s departure from Chelsea
Enzo Maresca has been appointed as the new manager of Manchester City, following his departure from Chelsea FC. His move to City involved a confidential settlement with Chelsea, including compensation. Chelsea confirmed that Maresca resigned unexpectedly and abruptly in December 2025, midway through the 2025/26 season. The club stated that Maresca had informed them in autumn 2025 of a potential opportunity to succeed Pep Guardiola at the end of the season, and expressed a strong desire to pursue this, despite being under a long-term contract with Chelsea.
Chelsea described the 2025/26 season as disappointing, partly due to the disruption caused by changes to the Head Coach position over the Christmas period. The club felt let down by Maresca’s decision, believing his focus had shifted to another club and opportunity shortly after his arrival at Chelsea. Given his decision not to continue fulfilling his responsibilities, Chelsea accepted his resignation to protect its players, supporters, and the club’s badge.
Maresca’s contract with Chelsea was set to run until 2029, and he was only 18 months into his initial deal. Reports indicate that he had previously informed Chelsea on two occasions about interest from Manchester City, at a time when Guardiola had publicly praised Maresca as the best manager in the league. He also reportedly notified the club of interest from Juventus. Maresca had suggested that speculation about his future would end if he was offered a new contract.
Difficulties in his working relationship with the Chelsea ownership were also noted. Maresca was encouraged to rotate his squad but felt that doing so in the Premier League often resulted in dropped points. He reportedly made his complaints public rather than discussing them internally, and later admitted that comments made after a match against Everton were premeditated, not an emotional outburst.
Maresca’s journey to Manchester City
Maresca’s coaching career includes two spells with Manchester City. He first joined the club in summer 2020 as the lead coach for the Elite Development Squad. During the 2020/21 season, he guided City’s Under-21s to their first-ever Premier League 2 title, achieving widespread acclaim for the team’s attractive style of play and a record-breaking points margin. His squad included players like Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, James McAtee, and Morgan Rogers, many of whom later found success in professional football.
After a period managing Italian side Parma, Maresca returned to Manchester City in summer 2022, becoming a key part of Guardiola’s senior first-team coaching staff. His contributions were considered crucial during the 2022/23 campaign, which saw City achieve a historic Treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League.
Following this success, Maresca was appointed manager of Leicester City in summer 2023, after their relegation from the Premier League. He made an immediate impact, leading Leicester to the Championship title and promotion back to the Premier League in his first season. His coaching acumen and work ethic at Leicester earned significant praise.
In summer 2024, Maresca became manager of Chelsea. In his maiden season at Stamford Bridge, he led the club to two trophy successes and secured their return to the UEFA Champions League for the first time in three years. Chelsea won the 2025 UEFA Conference League, beating Real Betis 4-1 in the final. Under his leadership, Chelsea also triumphed in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, securing a 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the final held in New York.
Before his coaching career, Maresca had a distinguished playing career spanning nearly two decades as a central and attacking midfielder. He played for clubs such as West Brom, Juventus, Fiorentina, Sevilla, Malaga, and Olympiakos. His playing honours include a Serie A title, two UEFA Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, a Copa del Rey, and a Supercopa de Espana. He also represented Italy at the Under-21 level.
Looking ahead for Chelsea
Chelsea has since appointed Xabi Alonso as their new manager for the upcoming season. The club expressed confidence in Alonso, highlighting his exceptional football mind and integrity, believing he possesses the attributes to deliver the success that supporters expect and deserve. Maresca’s resignation from Chelsea became effective on 1 January 2026.
Source: chelseafc.com
