Enzo Maresca forgot Chelsea’s golden rule: the manager does not call the shots

January 1, 2026

TL;DR

Enzo Maresca was dismissed as Chelsea manager on New Year's Day 2026.
Maresca reportedly engineered his exit through open defiance and questioning the club's project.
The manager allegedly used interest from Juventus and Manchester City to leverage a new contract.
Disagreements arose over squad rotation, load management, and player recruitment, with Maresca feeling there was too much interference from above.
Chelsea questioned Maresca's tactical choices, noting the team dropped 20 points from winning positions.
Despite these issues, Maresca guided Chelsea back into the Champions League and won the Conference League and Club World Cup.
He leaves the club in fifth place, still in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Chelsea plans to appoint Liam Rosenior, manager of Strasbourg, as his replacement.
Sources claim Maresca informed Chelsea of speaking with Manchester City about replacing Pep Guardiola on three occasions.

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