Chelsea have publicly blamed Enzo Maresca for their “hugely disappointing season” in an explosive statement moments after the former Blues boss was appointed as Manchester City manager.
Maresca left Chelsea at the end of 2025 amid growing tensions between himself and the club hierarchy, with his exit followed by months of turmoil at Chelsea as the hasty appointment of Liam Rosenior backfired spectacularly.
The club lost five in a row without scoring for the first time since 1912 under Rosenior, plummeting down the table before his eventual sacking, with that stark drop in performance seeing Chelsea finish 10th and miss out on Europe entirely.
There was speculation that Maresca left Stamford Bridge to position himself as the potential successor to Pep Guardiola in the City dugout, and this has now been confirmed by the club who have not skirted around their belief that Maresca’s actions directly led to collapse of their season.
Chelsea wrote in a statement: “In autumn last year, the club was informed by our former head coach [Maresca] that there might be an opportunity for him to succeed Pep Guardiola at the end of the season.
“It became clear to us that it was his strong desire to succeed Guardiola and that he was fully committed to pursuing the opportunity, despite the fact he was under a long-term contract which he had no right to terminate.
“In December 2025, our head coach unexpectedly and abruptly resigned from his position. Obviously, we felt let down as we believed that his head and heart were focused on another club and another opportunity, despite having just arrived at Chelsea the year before.
“No club wants to change its head coach midway through a season. However, in light of his decision not to continue fulfilling his responsibilities through to the end of the season, the club was left with no choice but to protect our players, our supporters, and the badge and accept his resignation.”
Chelsea said they have come to a “confidential settlement” with Man City over a compensation package for Maresca, which is understood to be £17m. The club has also confirmed that Maresca will be required to pay compensation for breaking his contract.
The statement finished: “Looking forward to next season, in Xabi Alonso, we have a manager who has an exceptional football mind and is a professional of the highest integrity. He has all the attributes to deliver the success the club’s supporters deserve and expect.”
Maresca responded on his Instagram by holding his hands up and apologising for the way he left Chelsea.
“At the end of December 2025, I made the difficult decision to leave Chelsea,” he said.
“The decision was only mine. My resignation from Chelsea opened a path for me to join Manchester City, which is a club I knew very well. I am ecstatic that I have now joined Manchester City.
“I recognise that my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise for that. It was neither my intention nor my wish.
“I was treated well by everyone at Chelsea and together we achieved great success and memories that I will always treasure. I am grateful to the club, the owners and the fans for giving me the opportunity.”
Maresca, meanwhile, has spoken highly of the running of his new club having vocally expressed his dismay at Chelsea’s hierarchy before his eventual exit.
“Manchester City is a club I know very well and to have the chance to manage this team is a brilliant opportunity for me,” said Maresca, who served as Guardiola’s assistant between 2022 and 2023.
“City is an incredibly well-run football club. Everything they do is innovative, planned and purposeful. For a manager, that is a dream situation. It provides the consistency I need to do my job effectively.”
