Enzo Maresca Departs as Chelsea Coach Following Challenging Season

Enzo Maresca Departs as Chelsea Coach Following Challenging Season

Enzo Maresca served as the head coach of Chelsea's men's first team from July 2024 until his departure on January 1, 2026.

Maresca's exit followed a disappointing December 2025, during which Chelsea secured only one victory in the Premier League. Their only other win that month was in the League Cup quarter-finals against Cardiff City.

This season, Chelsea's Premier League win percentage stands at 42%, with eight victories out of 19 matches played thus far.

During his tenure, Maresca led the team in a total of 92 matches, achieving 55 wins and 16 draws, resulting in a win percentage of 59.8%. This is the highest win rate for the club since Thomas Tuchel's time in charge during the 2021-2022 season.

In Maresca's first season, Chelsea finished fourth in the league, marking their best league position since the 2021/22 season when they ended up third. Additionally, the team claimed the Conference League title and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.

However, it was not solely the results that led to increased scrutiny on Maresca; reports of disagreements with the club's management also surfaced.

His final match in charge was a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on December 30.

What About Previous Chelsea Managers?

Maresca's predecessor, Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, managed Chelsea from July 2023 to May 2024, achieving a win rate of 51% with 26 victories out of 51 matches. He departed the club by mutual consent at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Former Chelsea player Frank Lampard had a second stint as caretaker manager between April and June 2023, where he managed one win and two draws across 11 games, resulting in a win rate of 47.4% during his first tenure.

Graham Potter was at the helm from September 2022 to April 2023, with a win rate of 38% from 12 wins in 31 matches.

During Thomas Tuchel's leadership from January 2021 to September 2022, Chelsea recorded 60 wins out of 100 matches, losing only 16 times.

This article is part of BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything series.

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