Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea and the five moments that saw it fall apart | Football | Sport

In just 17 days, Enzo Maresca’s relationship with the Chelsea board deteriorated beyond repair. While a single issue is often enough to end the tenure of most Premier League managers, it was a series of problems that ultimately sealed Maresca’s fate. Despite an 18-month reign that saw him guide Chelsea to Club World Cup and Conference League victories, as well as a return to the Champions League after finishing fourth in his debut season, Maresca’s position became untenable when he clashed with the Chelsea board.

The relationship with the Italian had completely broken down, leaving the board with no choice but to part ways. Below, Express Sport reveals the five ways Maresca’s reign started to go wrong and the board felt that they had to find another new head coach to work with.

• Maresca’s claim on December 13 that the days leading up to the 2-0 victory over Everton were “the worst 48 hours” of his time at Stamford Bridge.
• He insisted on the final say regarding injuries and club physios claim he ignored advice on when to rest players out of fear of injury.
• Chelsea‘s results taking a nosedive in December, managing just one win from seven Premier League games and dropping 15 points from winning positions, seeing them slump to fifth in the table.
• Stories in the media suddenly appearing, linking him to the Manchester City job, just days after Pep Guardiola lauded Maresca as the “best in the world.”
• His media profile being underwhelming, which matters for a club as big as Chelsea. On December 30, he did not show up for his post-match press conference after a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

The timing couldn’t have been worse for Maresca, who, unlike big names such as Jose Mourinho or Carlo Ancelotti, needed time to win over Chelsea fans accustomed to success. Just as supporters were starting to warm to him following a Champions League victory over Barcelona, Maresca’s self-destructive behaviour effectively ended any hopes of a long-term managerial role at the club.

There is frustration among the board, as joint owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, along with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, had publicly and privately supported him.

That’s precisely why that “48 hours” remark following a home victory over Everton came as such a bombshell. Maresca, who was referring to the two days after Chelsea surrendered a 1-0 advantage to lose 2-1 at Atalanta, then repeatedly declined to clarify his meaning.

But at the core of the behind-the-scenes turmoil lies the belief that at most clubs, the medical department must advise the manager on fitness matters. This is especially crucial at Chelsea given they’re confronting an enormous fixture list following last year’s lack of a proper summer break due to the Club World Cup.

Maresca’s accomplishments arguably didn’t receive the recognition they merited. Fellow coaches speak of him as a superb tactician and Chelsea as amongst Europe’s finest teams at constructing attacks.

Perhaps that explains why Maresca’s pride would have been boosted by links to the City position shortly after the Italian switched representatives. However, there was a strong feeling at Chelsea that behind-the-scenes manoeuvres were taking place amid rumours that it could be Guardiola’s final season at Manchester City.

Despite last season’s remarkable success, which included winning the Club World Cup, finishing in the top four, and lifting the Europa Conference League trophy, Maresca still didn’t have enough goodwill with the club’s hierarchy to win a power struggle.