Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea exit turns sour amid two shock digs on live TV | Football | Sport

Chelsea have delivered two rather remarkable swipes at former head coach Enzo Maresca following the announcement of his departure on Thursday. The Blues were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth earlier this week, and it quickly became apparent after the final whistle that the manager’s position was under serious threat.

Within 48 hours, official confirmation of his exit materialised, leaving Chelsea scrambling to identify a replacement for the vacant role. Maresca, who previously worked under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage at Manchester City, steered Leicester City to promotion throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

He subsequently replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the Stamford Bridge hot seat that summer, ultimately guiding the club to Club World Cup triumph in 2025. Nevertheless, matters have proved anything but smooth sailing regarding Premier League performances, despite clinching Champions League qualification last season.

During the present campaign, Chelsea have managed to secure victory in merely eight of their 19 league encounters thus far, recording six draws and suffering five defeats. Relations reached breaking point this week following the stalemate with Bournemouth, resulting in a statement confirming Maresca’s exit on New Year’s Day.

In a concise 99-word announcement issued on Thursday, the club declared: “Chelsea Football Club and Head Coach Enzo Maresca have parted company. During his time at the Club, Enzo led the team to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Those achievements will remain an important part of the Club’s recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the Club.

“With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the Club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track. We wish Enzo well for the future.”

Nevertheless, it was some of the club’s briefings afterwards that caused considerable surprise. During Sky Sports’ coverage of Thursday’s Premier League matches, presenter David Jones relayed comments from the club that had been shared with journalists, which contained two rather remarkable criticisms.

“The 48 hour comment was directed at the medical team at Stamford Bridge that he wasn’t happy with,” Jones revealed. “There is a suggestion Maresca went against the advice of the medical team at Chelsea on a number occasions.

“Playing players returning from injury longer than advised, leading to them being re-injured this season. He did not face the media on Tuesday and he wasn’t ill we are being told.

“It is also being briefed that he spoke to Manchester City and Juventus since October. Despite briefing the club [Chelsea], they thought it was disrespectful. The feeling at Chelsea is that he has a lack of mental fortitude and emotional maturity,” the Sky presenter concluded.

Chelsea have now commenced the search for Maresca’s replacement, but will be overseen by their under-21s head coach, Calum McFarlane, in the interim. The Blues are set to face Manchester City away this Sunday (5.30pm), followed by a challenging away match against local rivals Fulham the following Wednesday.