Chelsea have announced that Enzo Maresca has left his role as head coach after just over 18 months in charge.
A club statement said: "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."
The Italian departs with Chelsea sitting fifth in the table following a run of one win in their last seven Premier League games, leaving them closer to 15th place (seven points away) than third (nine points). His last match was Tuesday's 2-2 home draw with AFC Bournemouth.
How Maresca fared
Maresca took over from Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea's head coach in June 2024, following a successful spell at Leicester City where he guided them to the Championship title in 2023/24.
Maresca's reign began brightly, with Chelsea winning four of their first six Premier League matches under his leadership. The team finished the season strongly as well, securing five wins from their final six league games to clinch a fourth-place finish and UEFA Champions League qualification.
During his tenure, Maresca lifted two trophies: first, a commanding 4-1 victory over Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final in May 2025, followed by an impressive 3-0 win against Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final two months later.
Maresca's PL record in 24/25 v 25/26
| 24/25 | 25/26 | |
| Matches | 38 | 19 |
| Wins | 20 | 8 |
| Draws | 9 | 6 |
| Losses | 9 | 5 |
| Goals scored | 64 | 32 |
| Goals conceded | 43 | 21 |
| Win percentage | 52.6% | 42.1% |
| Points per match | 1.82 | 1.58 |
However, this season proved more challenging for Maresca, despite the summer arrivals of Joao Pedro, Estevao Willian, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, and Jorrel Hato.
Chelsea managed just two wins from their opening six Premier League matches and secured only one league victory throughout December - a 2-0 triumph over Everton.
Since then, the Blues have reached the EFL Cup semi-finals, where they are set to face Arsenal over two legs.
When are Chelsea back in action?
Chelsea's next match is on Sunday 4 January, when they travel to Manchester City.
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