Chelsea have parted ways with head coach Enzo Maresca with immediate effect, The Athletic reports, citing sources David Ornstein and Simon Johnson.
The decision was made after a board meeting on Thursday, where Maresca's future was top of the agenda. The Italian leaves the club less than two years into a five-year contract that initially ran until 2029.
Chelsea are winless in their last three Premier League games, and Tuesday's 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth was a clear turning point. The team was booed off the pitch at Stamford Bridge, and the pressure on Maresca increased significantly.
Ironically, the 45-year-old was named Premier League Manager of the Month in November, but later created uncertainty about his own situation when, after the victory over Everton on December 13, he stated that the previous 48 hours had been the “worst since I joined the club” because he felt a lack of support.
According to The Athletic, Maresca has also been high on the list of candidates Manchester City are considering if Pep Guardiola were to leave the club next summer. Guardiola is contracted until 2027, but his future has been the subject of speculation.
Chelsea and Manchester City meet at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, but it is currently unclear who will lead Chelsea in that match.
According to The Athletic, the club emphasizes that they still fully stand behind the model and sporting structure that was introduced after the Clearlake Capital–Todd Boehly takeover in 2022. The next head coach should fit into this approach and quickly stabilize results.
Maresca joined Chelsea in June 2024 after guiding Leicester City to the Championship title and direct promotion. In his first season in London, he won both the Conference League and the newly expanded Club World Cup.
Chelsea are currently in 5th place in the Premier League, 15 points behind league leaders Arsenal, and only five points ahead of 14th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
