Inside Enzo Maresca's Chelsea exit: Unanimous board decision, goodbyes with players, next head coach candidates
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Enzo Maresca is no longer the Chelsea head coach after 18 months in charge.
The 45-year-old's position at Stamford Bridge became untenable after a host of disagreements with the Chelsea hierarchy, including over the club's form at the end of 2025, which saw them win just two of their eight games in December.
In a 99-word statement, Chelsea wished Maresca well for the future, while acknowledging his success during his time in west London.
"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," part of the club statement read.
Chelsea's decision to part company with the Italian has been put down to three areas: recent results, links to other jobs in recent weeks and months, as well as disagreements behind the scenes over return-to-play protocol for injured players - the medical team, not Maresca, have the final say over how much they can play.
It has led to increased tensions and Tuesday's 2-2 draw against Bournemouth proved to be the final straw for Chelsea.
Following the decision to split with Maresca, Absolute Chelsea takes a look at some of the key details on a day where Chelsea begin their search for a new head coach.
Chelsea hierarchy make their decision clear
Following discussions amongst the Chelsea board, as reported by Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports, Maresca's exit was a unanimous board decision.
Chelsea have no plans to change their current model and expect any, former and future, head coach to fit into the system and structure.
Goodbyes to Chelsea squad
As reported by The Guardian, Maresca said his goodbyes to his players on Thursday morning.
Marc Cucurella was the first Chelsea player to express his gratitude and wish the Italian well for the future.
⦿ 92 games
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) January 1, 2026
⦿ 55 wins
⦿ 16 draws
⦿ 21 defeats
🏆 Conference League
🏆 Club World Cup
Enzo Maresca departs #Chelsea. Thank you, Enzo! 💙 pic.twitter.com/bg3aXPCwyk
Chelsea's plans for next head coach
It is expected Maresca's successor will be appointed swiftly in the coming days. It remains unclear, however, if a replacement is brought in prior to Sunday's trip to Manchester City.
Chelsea have plans to appoint a permanent head coach rather than an interim until the end of the season.
RC Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior is a candidate for Chelsea. Strasbourg are also owned by BlueCo, who also own Chelsea.
Both Roberto De Zerbi and Cesc Fabregas have been ruled out, as things stand, and will not be in the running to take over at Stamford Bridge. Oliver Glasner is also not in the frame, as reported by The Athletic.
Matt Debono leads the editorial team which covers Chelsea On SI. He has witnessed Chelsea win it all, whilst also featuring on ITV News, SPORTbible and various other publications.