Chelsea officially sack Enzo Maresca amid Manchester United links

Chelsea have officially parted ways with Enzo Maresca, bringing an abrupt end to the Italian’s tenure as head coach following a damaging run of form that saw the club fail to win any of their last seven matches.

The decision was confirmed alongside an official club statement thanking Maresca for his contributions, notably highlighting the FIFA Club World Cup triumph secured last year — a landmark achievement that remains a rare bright spot in a turbulent period at Stamford Bridge.

Beyond results, however, Maresca’s departure was shaped by deeper structural issues.

Internally, tensions had been building as the coach increasingly found himself caught between being presented as a long-term developmental appointment and being judged through the lens of immediate success.

That contradiction became harder to manage as pressure intensified from above.

While the winless run accelerated events, the underlying fault lines were already visible.

Ownership urgency began to clash with a project built around the Premier League’s youngest squad, leaving little margin for patience or gradual progression.

The mismatch between expectations and operating reality ultimately proved unsustainable.

Speculation emerged linking Maresca with a potential future move to Manchester United, but that route appears highly unlikely in the near term.

The Italian was reportedly interested in the hot seat at Old Trafford despite Manchester City’s apparent interest in him replacing Pep Guardiola if the Spaniard were to leave at the end of the season.

United’s INEOS-led hierarchy has made a deliberate shift toward stability, clear authority, and long-term alignment — principles forged through hard lessons after years of upheaval.

Where Maresca struggled most at Chelsea was the lack of autonomy he anticipated compared to what he actually experienced, a scenario United are actively trying to avoid as they continue to back their current head coach through inevitable rough patches.

For now, Maresca exits with silverware on his résumé but lingering questions about fit and control, while any Old Trafford links remain distant speculation rather than a realistic next step.