Chelsea have got Xabi Alonso as their next manager, while Enzo Maresca is set to join Manchester City this summer once Pep Guardiola leaves his post.
BlueCo has made many mistakes since taking over Chelsea in 2022, and the fans have rightly called them out on several occasions. Appointing Enzo Maresca was certainly not one of them, and he proved to be the only head coach to win a trophy under the new ownership.
However, things did not end well with the Italian, and he exited the club 18 months after joining from Leicester City. For the fans, it felt like a decision out of the blue, but for the people at the club, it was a gradual climb to the cliff before he jumped off with a Manchester City parachute.
The worst-kept secret is now set to be confirmed by the Etihad side soon, with Guardiola likely to announce his exit in the final home match of the season against Aston Villa.
Note: Majority of the post was sourced in February, and is not fresh from the oven because of Maresca’s impending move to Manchester City.
Enzo Maresca – Trouble from the moment the honeymoon ended
Chelsea had a good 2024/25 season, winning the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA World Cup, while also qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. The hierarchy was happy with Maresca, and vice versa, but things started to change from the first day back for the 2025/26 season.
Levi Colwill’s ACL injury in the first session saw the head coach’s idea for the summer window change. He was quick to ask for a senior centre-back, as he saw the Englishman as a key figure for his tactics and wanted someone similar to be signed in the summer.
The Chelsea sporting directors disagreed, feeling that the request was short-sighted and the squad had enough players to fill the void for a few months. Mamadou Sarr had already been sent back to Strasbourg on loan for the season, and the head coach was asked to use the options available in the squad or the returning Aarรณn Anselmino.
The Italian was unhappy but continued working with the players before making another request days before the Premier League season kicked off. He was denied once again, with the decision-makers insisting that a winger needs to be signed over a centre-back with the long-term future in mind.
The transfer window ended with Jorrel Hato being the only defensive addition despite the coach’s request, and cracks in the relationship with the club’s board began to appear.
Contract talks begin
Once the transfer window ended, Maresca’s focus off the pitch shifted to his contract at the club. He was into the second season of his five-year deal, but believed that he should be getting an improved deal, having won two trophies in his first season.
Moreover, talks over a new deal began after it was confirmed that the sporting directors and recruitment heads had extended their contracts until 2031. The Italian asked for a similar extension, along with a wage raise for him and his backroom staff.
The discussions began in the first days of September, but had to be paused after Maresca informed the club that he was switching his agents. Jorge Mendes had approached him after learning about his plans to extend, but the super-agent was also aware that Manchester City were keeping tabs.
The Cityzens had former Maresca, Vincent Kompany and Mikel Arteta on their radar as the ideal successors to Pep Guardiola, who was in the final two years of his deal at the club. There was an understanding at the board level that they needed to start the search for the next manager to ensure a smooth process.
Manchester City show interest in Enzo Maresca
Mendes’s agency officially took over as Maresca’s agents in October, and talks with Chelsea over the new deal restarted swiftly. They wanted the deal extended until 2031, in line with the directors’ extension, and a similar pay rise.
Juventus were the first side to make a move for the Italian, approaching him soon after he changed agencies. Igor Tudor was still in charge of the Old Lady, but they were planning to make the change and saw the Chelsea coach as the ideal man.
Manchester City were quick to follow suit, and the Blues were informed that offers were arriving from both clubs. Sources familiar with the situation have told The Sportzine that the Italian rejected Juventus, but held two meetings with the Cityzens.
Some people at Chelsea suspect that Mendes was already in touch with Manchester City before he became Maresca’s agent. However, contract talks continued in November, with discussions also taking place for the winter transfer window.
‘Worst 48 hours’ since I joined Chelsea’
Maresca once again demanded a centre-back in the window, and there was a general agreement that they needed to act.
The Italian’s agents demanded that he be given more control at the club, especially over transfers and player selection. While the board or other decision-makers were not involved in any selection, the medical department was seen as a constant issue by the 46-year-old.
Maresca wanted Marco Senesi or Marc Guehi signed in the summer and put their names forward again in the winter window. While the Englishman showed no interest in returning to Stamford Bridge, the Argentine was keen and remains interested in making the move.
There was an agreement at the club that they would be making a move for the Bournemouth star in January. Moreover, contract talks were also progressing after the 3-0 win over Barcelona, but things changed drastically.
A four-match winless streak prompted the decision-makers to pause contract talks and inform the Italian’s agents that they will not resume negotiations until the end of the season. Moreover, they rejected the idea of signing Senesi and instead proposed bringing back either Anselmino or Sarr.
The 46-year-old was informed of the decisions after the loss to Atalanta, leading to his infamous ‘worst 48 hours’ message after the win over Everton in December. The Sportzine sources report that the manager held another meeting with Manchester City soon after, and he was all but given the nod.
The ending fans did not see coming
The whole of December saw several back-and-forths between Maresca, his agents and the Chelsea decision-makers to try and resolve the issues. The contract talks were not in the final stages, but the negotiations were going smoothly, and there was expections from both sides to get it done.
However, talks were fruitless, with the club standing their ground and insisting that the new contract will only be discussed at the end of the season, when they review. The breakdown in the relationship led Maresca to offer to resign straight away after the draw at Newcastle United, and again after the loss to Aston Villa.
The directors believed it was a tactic by the agents to restart the talks. Club sources have reported that the manager had downed his tools in training and was not actively involved in the final few days of the month. Many at the club believed that he was already working on his exit, or was happy to be sacked, as he was at a point of no return with the decision-makers.
Maresca officially quit his role on December 31, informing the club ahead of the Bournemouth clash and walking away without completing his media duties, citing illness.
Chelsea accepted his resignation soon after, with the club paying no compensation to the Italian or his backroom staff. The club have since appointed Liam Rosenior from Strasbourg, but the Englishman lasted just four months before he was sacked in April.
What next for Chelsea and Enzo Maresca?
Xabi Alonso has now signed his contract at the club and has unofficially begun his role. He is the first ‘manager’ to be appointed by BlueCo at Stamford Bridge, and the Spaniard will have the powers demanded by Maresca during contract talks in November 2025.
Meanwhile, the Italian has an agreement with Manchester City, with talks taking place in February and March. He was informed that Guardiola would be leaving at the end of the season, though the Spaniard has repeatedly insisted he will see out his contract, which ends in 2027.
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