Chelsea sources lash out at 'disrespectful' Enzo Maresca

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 2 Jan 2026 04:26 CST
• 4 min read

Nieuws

Enzo Maresca's explosive departure from Chelsea has emboldened insiders to reveal the many misgivings senior figures at the club had with the coach.

The Italian has quit his job at Stamford Bridge after Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, but Chelsea themselves were considering making a change due to the increasing toxicity behind the scenes.

Results had turned sour, and there was growing unease over Maresca's way of going about his work. The fact that he publicly criticised the club after a win over Everton in December only added to the sense that he was on increasingly thin ice.

FootballTransfers understands that things came to a head on Tuesday when Maresca was confronted by a senior figure at Chelsea, which prompted the coach to spurn his media duties and walk away.

Maresca felt that there was too much interference from above in his day-to-day work and that he was not properly backed by club bosses, both with respect to sporting matters but also in disagreements with other staff members at Chelsea.

Chelsea sources lash out

More and more information has filtered out of Stamford Bridge since Maresca's departure, and it paints the picture of an awkward working relationship that was always doomed to fail.

One common theme in the reports is that Maresca disregarded the directives of the club's medical department with regard to player welfare and workload management.

Sky Sports reports that the coach's post-Everton outburst, in which he bemoaned a lack of support, was aimed at the medical staff due to disagreements over Reece James' minutes.

Chelsea insist that the recommendations of the medical experts take precedence over the judgment of the coach. Maresca, it is claimed, did not respect these boundaries, resulting in numerous clashes.

Another massive source of frustration for Maresca's higher-ups were his talks with suitors. It was revealed earlier on Thursday that the Italian had numerous discussions with Man City, who have sounded him out as a long-term successor to Pep Guardiola.

It has now been disclosed that Juventus, whose interest in Maresca has been long-standing, also held talks with him during his reign at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were informed about all of these contacts as the 45-year-old was contractually obliged to disclose them to his employer.

Senior figures at Chelsea felt that Maresca had become distracted by the courtship from Man City and Juventus and thought it disrespectful of the coach to engage with interested clubs while still having a long-term contract.

"Despite briefing the club, they thought it was disrespectful," Sky Sports writes before adding this damning line. "The feeling at Chelsea is that he has a lack of mental fortitude and emotional maturity."

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