Chelsea have sacked Enzo Maresca just a few months into his second season at the club.
Rumours earlier today that there was a board meeting to discuss the head coach’s future were soon followed by confirmation that he would be leaving.
All was going well not long ago – Maresca was the Premier League manager of the month in November, but a dodgy run of games followed by his explosive comments about a lack of support from the club set in motion something of a collapse since.
Man City contact added to bad results to spark Maresca removal
Chelsea are winless in 3 games, and have 1 Premier League win in their last 7 games. Chelsea were booed off at Stamford Bridge after a 2-2 home draw with struggling Bournemouth on Tuesday.
But the reason he’s gone may not just be bad results. The Athletic report that Maresca had been speaking to Man City about taking over from Pep Guardiola next summer, should the Catalan coach leave.
His Chelsea contract obliged him to inform the club about any contact with other teams, and David Ornstein says he spoke to City (and told Chelsea) twice, once in late October and once in mid-December.
In typically cinematic Premier League fashion, Chelsea face Man City on Sunday. It’s unlikely that Chelsea will have a manager by then, but their work on appointing someone will obviously begin now. Ornstein reports that Liam Rosenior, currently leading the Blues’ sister club Strasbourg, is a candidate.
Oliver Glasner is apparently not on the list, but given this is a mid-season change, we expect a dynamic shortlist with lots of names coming up.
In other news…
Chelsea announced the sacking with statement on their website which made clear what they want the public perception of their reasoning to be.
What an unmitigated disaster. Who in their right mind would want this job? The major clubs with trophies in their cabinets and in their sights pick a man and back him — even when the going gets tough (as we’ve seen with both Slot at Liverpool and Amorim at United (just to name two). Meanwhile, the Chelsea fan base freak out anytime their is a bad run of form and, in typical fashion, the ownership goes and does something stupid like this, hitting the reset button with a group of young players who need one thing above all else — stability!
At this point it’s become an embarrassment. Not the sacking in and of itself and not the team’s record, but the way the whole of the organization and the fans base can’t seem to keep their emotions under any sort of control in the face of adversity. It’s pathetic, and who can blame Maresca for wanting to head for the exit. He’d be insane to want to stay if we’re being honest.
Hiding behind that ridiculous name sums you up. In stead of constructive criticism, you revert to slagging of other fans etc. Its a sign of low intelect. You obviously wouldn’t have posted that rubbish a few weeks back when slots liverpool were lingering in 12th place and one win in eleven. Nor amorin at utd, now in an artificially high position due to everyone elses up and down season. Pathetic!