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Enzo Maresca to snub Man City? Ex-Chelsea boss receives ambitious offer
Tom Weber
- Updated: 20 Mar 2026 19:36 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has been offered the chance to snub Manchester City in favour of a return to his homeland.
The Italian has been out of a job since his explosive departure from Chelsea on New Year's Day. Maresca walked out of the job after a string of disappointing results and behind-the-scenes tension.
In December, Maresca had cryptically claimed that he was not receiving the necessary support, which many viewed as a direct broadside at club bosses. It was later revealed that, among other things, Maresca had frequent disagreements with the club's medical staff.
Maresca also felt that, after winning the Conference League, Club World Cup and leading Chelsea back into the Champions League, he had earned more of a say on transfers.
He felt boxed in by the structure at Chelsea and ultimately decided to quit, though in truth, he was also at serious risk of being sacked after results fell off a cliff in the winter for a second season running.
Maresca receives ambitious approach
Maresca was accused of being unprofessional by Chelsea, who were left surprised when he informed them multiple times - as he was contractually obliged to do - that he held discussions with Man City over potentially replacing his mentor Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola could quit Man City at the end of the season, and Maresca is thought to be his heir apparent. Since his Chelsea departure, the 46-year-old has also been associated with the Man Utd job, which was vacated just days later when Ruben Amorim was sacked.
Maresca is also understood to have admirers in Italy. Juventus have been keeping tabs on him for some time, while Napoli also have him on their shortlist of manager options. However, it is thought that Luciano Spaletti and Antonio Conte will remain with their respective clubs this summer.
Still, Maresca has reportedly been offered the chance to return home. According to Tuttomercatoweb, Fiorentina are plotting an ambitious move to make the ex-Blues boss their new head coach.
La Viola started the season with Stefano Pioli at the helm, but his disastrous tenure left them in the relegation zone. Paolo Vanoli now has them four points clear of the drop zone, but his record of six wins, six draws and seven losses is still not great.
His contract expires at the end of the season and, though there is the option to extend it by a year, new sporting director Fabio Paratici, formerly of Spurs, wants to make a more high-profile hire.
While Fiorentina do not expect Maresca to accept, given that he is likely waiting for the Man City job, they will nevertheless try to test the waters over what would be a remarkable appointment.
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