Months after Enzo Maresca left his position as Chelsea’s head coach, the club have disclosed the reasons behind his departure.
Maresca, who officially joined Chelsea on July 1, 2024, on a contract running until 2029, left the West London club on January 1, 2026. Chelsea have since announced Xabi Alonso as their new manager on a four-year deal, with his tenure set to begin on July 1, 2026.
Similarly, Manchester City announced Maresca’s appointment on June 29 on a three-year contract that runs until 2029.
“Manchester City is a club I know very well and to have the chance to manage this team is a brilliant opportunity for me,” Maresca said, as quoted by City’s website.
“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.
“This will be my third spell here. I know this Club, I know the demands and I know the expectations. The quality of the people who work here is what makes it so special, and I want to thank them for showing faith in my ability.”
He added: “I cannot wait to start coaching the players. I want us to win, play good football and enjoy the pressure of representing Manchester City.”
However, in a statement on Monday, Chelsea revealed the reasons behind the Italian’s departure, while acknowledging that the 2025/2026 season was hugely disappointing for the club and its supporters.
According to the club, a major contributing factor was the disruption caused by the changes it was forced to make to the head coach position over the Christmas period.
“Due to recent developments, we consider that it is important to explain to our supporters what happened and why our former Head Coach left the Club on 1 January 2026,” Chelsea noted.
The two-time UEFA Champions League winners disclosed that, in the autumn of last year, Maresca informed the club that there might be an opportunity for him to succeed Pep Guardiola at the end of the season.
Chelsea said it became clear that it was Maresca’s strong desire to succeed Guardiola and that he was fully committed to pursuing the opportunity, despite being under a long-term contract that 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,” the statement reads.
Chelsea also confirmed that, given the circumstances and the mutual respect between the two clubs, a confidential settlement had been reached with Manchester City, which includes the payment of compensation.
The club further affirmed that a confidential settlement had also been reached with the Italian, under which he will pay compensation.
“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,” Chelsea added.
