Summary

  • Chelsea and head coach Enzo Maresca part ways by mutual consent

  • Italian leaves after deterioration in relationship with club's hierarchy

  • Former Leicester boss joined Chelsea in 2024 and won Europa Conference League and Club World Cup

  • Chelsea won one of six Premier League games in December and two of eight in all competitions

  • Is the right decision? Who next for Chelsea? Have your say using the Get Involved button on this page.

Your views as Enzo Maresca leaves Chelsea

Live Reporting

Alex Brotherton, Ben Ramsdale and Alastair Telfer

  1. Get Involved - 'Chelsea would rather have a puppet than a leader'

    Click 'Get Involved' to have your say

    You can’t expect the Coach/Manager to work in an environment where he/she doesn’t have the full support of the hierarchy/board/owners. Chelsea have shown themselves to be the club who doesn’t want a leader, they would rather have a puppet! Well, good luck with that!

    John, Sussex

    Interfering owners who pick inappropriate managers and/or don't give them a chance to implement their ideas. Maresca himself also bears some blame. He knew where he was coming, but seems surprised by the interference and impatience, and has increasingly used the media without club consent to wash dirty linen.

    Tommy, Liverpool

    As a Chelsea fan I am losing interest in the club just because the way it is run. Sacking Maresca is separate from the deeper issues at the club. We have lost our identity. Signing young talent on high transfer fees is not sustainable in the Premier League.

    Saqib, London

  2. 'Chelsea have had a lack of ability to respond to chaos'

    Rob Green
    Former Chelsea goalkeeper on Match of the Day on Tuesday

    Chelsea have had a lack of ability to respond to chaos from other sides and to keep control of games. That has been the real issue.

  3. Happy New Year

    Enzo Maresca is the first manager in Premier League history to leave his club on New Year's Day.

    Speedy work from Opta to find that one out.

    Enzo Maresca looks dejected.Getty Images

  4. Get Involved - 'Maresca should never have been appointed'

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    Squad rotation and seemingly tactically inept has cost Maresca his job. He should never have been appointed. The board needs a clear out. We need Pochettino back and allow him time to turn the team around.

    Mark, Warwick

    Correct decision. Can't believe he was appointed in the first place. Winning the Championship with Leicester is hardly a ringing endorsement for getting the top job at Premier League club. We should only be looking at managers with elite pedigree.

    David, Royal Tunbridge Wells

    Maresca was lucky to even be appointed Chelsea manager in the first place. Move came too soon and similar to Lampard where they should have waited before taking that leap. Still don’t understand why he’s even linked with City!

    James, Slough

  5. Plan was to review at end of season

    Nizaar Kinsella
    BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

    Enzo Maresca, for his part, believed the pressure on him was unfair given what he felt were difficult working conditions, and that a line had been crossed in terms of attempts to influence his team selection.

    While he was not angry about overseeing a young squad, he felt supporters' expectations needed to be managed regarding what was achievable - especially given key injuries to Colwill and attacker Cole Palmer.

    Chelsea initially intended to assess his position at the end of the season if results improved, but Maresca's unhappiness was a factor in them parting ways sooner.

  6. How quickly things change in football...

    Enzo Maresca poses with the Conference League trophyGetty Images
    Enzo Maresca poses with the Club World Cup trophyGetty Images
    Enzo Maresca carries the Club World Cup trophy and Conference League trophy onto the field at Stamford BridgeGetty Images
    Enzo Maresca rubs his chin on the sideline at Stamford BridgeGetty Images

  7. Get Involved - 'No one in their right mind will take the Chelsea job'

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    Why would any one want the Chelsea job. Success is no longer enough to keep you in the job.

    William, Ayr

    It’s a poisoned chalice for any coach at Chelsea with the sporting directors interfering and having immediate post match assessments. Pochettino left. Now Maresca. Potter was their first choice. That went well! No one in their right mind will take the job on with this management structure.

    David, London

    Chelsea have lost their identity to the owners whims. Maresca struggled to connect with fans, that is symptomatic of the whole club including the players. Next manager needs to unify fans.

    Cameron, London

  8. From stability to trouble

    Did Enzo Maresca's comments show this was only a matter of time?

  9. Private opportunities & transfer disagreements - where it fell apart

    Nizaar Kinsella
    BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

    Friction has been brewing for months.

    Enzo Maresca had hoped to raise his profile following the Blues' successes through opportunities outside the club. He was planning to publish a book before being blocked, and spoke at Il Festival dello Sport - an event in Italy organised by La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper - without the club's permission.

    He also made public that he disagreed with the club not signing a central defender after Levi Colwill injured his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season. The club's hierarchy explained that doing so could prompt academy prospect Josh Acheampong to request a transfer, which ultimately led Maresca to back down.

    The former Leicester manager has also switched agents - from the Wasserman agency to Jorge Mendes - and has been talked of as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, which Maresca has dismissed.

    In addition, he has increasingly avoided wearing club tracksuits - opting instead for his own clothing.

  10. Get Involved - 'The most disconnected I've felt as a fan'

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    Nothing surprises me with Chelsea. They’ve been doing this for one over 20 years, irrespective of the owners but I would say this there appears to be a huge amount of directors at the club now I don’t know who’s doing what but is there an overlap?

    Melvyn, Eastbourne

    You can't manage a team if you're not in control of who you can pick.

    Chris, Bridport

    Tuchel, Pochetinho and now Maresca, all left by “mutual consent”. This isn’t a coincidence it’s a pattern which shows how toxic the ownership is. The most disconnected I’ve felt as a fan and there’s no body to blame for that but Clearlake capital.

    Finn, Cheltenham

    Chelsea owners should hang their head in shame. All that is wrong with football.

    Nick, London

  11. Get Involved - 'Inevitable he had to go'

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    I think it was inevitable he had to go, every game he changed the team, sometimes because of injury but most times because he never understood the meaning of consistency, if you had a winning team then keep to that team, saying he was trying to protect players was ridiculous.

    James, London

    I think it’s the right decision. Conceding too many soft goals. Players like Ganacho ball watching happened on numerous occasions. It’s fundamental, if you don’t stay goal side of the player you’re marking you shouldn’t be on the pitch. It’s the manager’s responsibility to pick the team. Simple.

    Micky, Wantage

    Strange appointment in the first place, with a strange reign to follow. Poor results, tactically not all there - similar patterns to his tenure at Leicester. I'd rather go for Farke or Le Bris over Rosenier, just see how Will Still faired...

    Tommy, Kielder

  12. 'Worst 48 hours' since I joined Chelsea - Maresca's post-Everton rant

    Enzo Maresca during Chelsea's game against EvertonGetty Images

    Was this the moment it all started to go wrong for Enzo Maresca and Chelsea?

    After their 2-0 win over Everton on 13 December, the Italian described the build-up to the match as "the worst 48 hours" since he arrived at the club.

    Speaking in this post-match press conference, Maresca said: "The way the players want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week.

    "Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."

    Pressed on what he meant, he added: "Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team."

    When asked if he meant people internally at Chelsea, he replied: "In general. In general," before clarifying when asked if it was aimed at fans or the media: "I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans."

  13. 'Success turned to sourness'

    Nizaar Kinsella
    BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

    Enzo Maresca delighted key figures at Stamford Bridge - including sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, and influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali - by steering Chelsea to a top-four finish and winning the Uefa Conference League and Club World Cup last year.

    Yet success soon turned to sourness in his relationship with the hierarchy.

    Maresca stunned even members of his own staff when - after beating Everton 2-0 for Chelsea's solitary Premier League win in December - he said "many people" had made it his "worst 48 hours" since joining the club.

    Those comments came without any warning to club staff or senior management, who would have preferred any discussions to remain private.

  14. Get Involved - 'Maresca wasn't delivering results'

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    Sadly he wasn't delivering the results. Had not solved tactics being used against the team. If he had he would have kept his job.

    Murray, UK

    I was never truly convinced by Maresca as the manager to make us true title competitors, but the club will always be held back until we deal with the bigger issues: the sporting directors and recruitment team.

    Nick, Kent

    Best thing for all concerned. He has been slowly pulling away from the club for a while. Rip the plaster off quickly.. rather than prolong the agony even further.

    Clive, Folkestone

  15. Get Involved - 'The circus goes on at Chelsea'

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    Won’t make the slightest bit of difference in the long run. The board will employ another keen but inexperienced yes man who ticks all ‘their’ boxes an is happy to have his hands tied.

    Steve, Hastings

    Too many owners don't think long term just think short term and now they will pay the price.

    Gareth, Middleton

    Gutted. The circus goes on at Chelsea. Another period of 'rebuild' to begin. I can completely understand Maresca walking. What is the point of hiring a top manager if the owners are going to tell him how to do his job. Again.

    Harry, Essex

  16. Highlights of Maresca's last game in charge

    Enzo Maresca's final game in charge of Chelsea came on Tuesday against Bournemouth.

    It was a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge with all the goals coming in the first half.

    Have a watch of the highlights below.

  17. Chelsea statement

    Chelsea

    A four paragraph club statement from Chelsea on the departure of Enzo Maresca.

    It reads:

    "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.

    "We wish Enzo well for the future."

  18. Afternoon!

    A new year, but same old chaos in the Premier League.

    There's breaking news already, with Chelsea and head coach Enzo Maresca parting company.

    Stay with us as we bring you all the latest, reaction and look at who may be next at Stamford Bridge.