Revealed: The three major reasons why Enzo Maresca has left Chelsea - Man City talks among concerns
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Enzo Maresca's Chelsea tenure has come to an end, with three major reasons behind the decision having been revealed amid talks with Manchester City.
The Italian led his side to becoming World Champions with victory in the Club World Cup over the summer and was named as the Premier League Manager of the Month in November.
However, a tough festive period saw Chelsea win just twice in December, against League One Cardiff City and Everton.
It was confirmed that Maresca and Chelsea have parted company on New Year's Day, with the departure making history as the first dismissal on the first day of the year in Premier League history.
As reported by several sources, there were three factors in the decision, including Maresca speaking with his former side Man City during the season.
As reported by Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol, Chelsea's recent form played a part in Maresca leaving the club.
He states that Chelsea winning just one of their last seven Premier League matches, while also losing 20 points from winning positions this season was a major factor.
Secondly, there were disagreements about return to play protocols for players after injury as the Blues have an independent medical department that have the final say on when players can return and how much they can play, with a Chelsea manager not being able to overrule this decision.
Finally, links with other clubs affected the relationship between the board and Maresca, with the head coach 'refusing to hold his post-match news conference' after Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth
Solhekol continues to state that there is a sense that 'Maresca’s wounds are self-inflicted and he talked himself out of a job'.
Matt Law of the Telegraph continued to state that Maresca’s handling of the media caused discontent at Chelsea.
This comes after the Italian stated that he had experienced the 'worst 48 hours' of his Chelsea career in December, which 'angered' some of the leadership at Chelsea. Law states that sources now believe Maresca was making reference to Chelsea’s medical department.
Maresca was also linked with succeeding Pep Guardiola at Man City, with a 'feeling he was distracted in recent weeks' following talks.
⦿ 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
These claims are supported by David Ornstein of The Athletic, who reports that Maresca informed Chelsea that he was in talks with Man City.
These conversations came twice in late October and once again in the middle of December. As part of his contract with Chelsea, the head coach was required to inform the club if he opened talks with interested parties.
It remains unclear as to who will succeed Maresca at Stamford Bridge, with Liam Rosenior being mentioned as a potential candidate, having impressed at Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
