Premier League: Chelsea Sack Coach Enzo Maresca
Maresca was appointed as the Chelsea manager in June 2024 after he helped Leicester to win the Championship and gain promotion to the Premier League.
English Premier League club Chelsea have sacked head coach Enzo Maresca with immediate effect on Jan. 1, 2026. The move came ahead of Chelsea's crucial weekend clash against Manchester City.
BBC Sport has reported that Maresca "has come under increased pressure." Star football reporter Fabrizio Romano posted Maresca's exit on X.
The development comes as Chelsea find themselves fifth in the Premier League points table but with just one win in last five league games. Their most recent outing was a Premier League match against Bournemouth where they were held for a 2-2 draw.
Potential cracks had emerged in the relationship between the Italian and the club’s hierarchy.
Maresca was appointed as the Chelsea manager in June 2024 after he helped Leicester to win the Championship and gain promotion to the Premier League. Maresca had succeeded Mauricio Pochettino after Chelsea finished sixth at the end of the 2023-24 season of the Premier League which led to the Argentine getting relieved of duties.
Italian Maresca becomes the sixth man to be dismissed from the position after the club was taken over by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022. Other men who have served as the manager of Chelsea's senior men's football team since the takeover are Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard.
Maresca's biggest achievement with Chelsea came last year as he guided the club to win the 2025 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA. In the same year, he also guided the club to win the UEFA Conference League.
By doing so, Chelsea became the first European club to win all four major UEFA trophies.
According to Sky Sports, Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior is the front runner to succeed Maresca.
