Inside the decision that accelerated Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea exit

He probably didn’t know it at the time, but Maresca’s final match as Chelsea manager was the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. Even if he didn’t, he may have sensed something was coming.

No matter what was on his mind, not attending the post-match press conference didn’t reflect well on him.

Kieran Gill of the Daily Mail reported that Maresca “refused to speak to the media after Tuesday’s disappointing 2-2 draw with Bournemouth – citing an illness which Chelsea insiders have now told us did not exist – and had his assistant, Willy Caballero, conduct interviews instead.”

Gill added that sources inside the club viewed this as “unprofessional, disrespectful and unfair on Caballero,” who ended up having to cover for Maresca.

Even at the time of the incident, there were doubts about whether his illness was genuine or if something else was going on behind the scenes.

Maresca clearly wasn’t up for speaking to reporters after that result, and it’s possible this was seen by some at Chelsea as a sign that things had gone too far.

Enzo Maresca’s exit from Chelsea ends on a sour note

Even though skipping out on the press conference wasn’t a smart call, it’s still unfortunate how things have finished for Maresca at Chelsea.

He had some good moments during his time in charge. Those should be what people remember, not the way things fell apart at the end.

Chelsea haven’t been collecting silverware as often lately, so picking up two trophies in his first season was a solid start, even if off-field issues ended up dominating the narrative.

Not every fan was behind him by the end, but there were still plenty who appreciated what he brought to the club.

No matter where you stood on him as a manager, it’s hard to ignore that he did bring something positive during his spell in charge.