Enzo Maresca and Chelsea Football Club are at a breaking point, with sources describing major tension behind the scenes. 

Chelsea have won just one league game in their last seven under the Italian coach, leaving them in fifth position, level on points with Manchester United, and two points ahead of Sunderland and Everton. 

Sources contacted in this article spoke under the condition of anonymity to protect relationships. 

Why Maresca is unhappy

Well, loads of reasons.

Maresca has often felt scapegoated by the media for poor performances and bad results, especially when he has been essentially told to rotate to develop the new talent and satisfy agents, who in recent weeks have been calling up Chelsea’s sporting directors to ask why their client hasn’t been given the minutes and trust they ought to be and told they would get.

The Italian has not felt that he has been able to manage the squad in the direction he wants to, often feeling micromanaged and controlled. 

In fact, there has been utter confusion on Maresca’s side for a long time with the briefing of being a “coach” not matching up to reality.

In Maresca’s view, the regular interference could not be any more the opposite of a coach, feeling undermined by the regular questioning of his Footballing tactics and decision-making. Thomas Tuchel felt the same way, in 2022.

Not only did he achieve top four and two trophies in his first season when the club went back on their original word of a top four finish in his second season as Chelsea coach, Maresca felt that the summer window was not conducive to outside expectations. 

Maresca grew tired of having to answer title question talk in the early parts of both seasons and wanted the club to make it clear to reporters the real aims and ambitions.

Maresca was overachieving in comparative to his squad quality, as far as he was concerned.

Clearlake vs Maresca 

Sources told LondonsFirst that Maresca’s main issue is with Chelsea’s majority owners, Clearlake Capital. 

While Jose E Feliciano remains somewhat out of the public eye, Maresca grew tired of the constant demands and expectations of results from the both of them when one, he already had enough on his plate with the media, fans and coaching the players, but two, the simple fact that he already knows what the nature of the business is, he didn’t need that repeated to him constantly by above in such a tone.

Sources further went on to state that there has been pressure from Clearlake’s external investors to secure top four for financial reasons, which may explain the urgency and lack of patience from the co-owners, despite being so early on in the season and equipping Maresca with the youngest squad in the Premier League. 

After the money spent, coping financially without Champions League revenue would likely lead to major and unpopular player sales, which could derail an already unhappy fanbase.

Maresca feels that their lack of patience directly contradicts many things he was told when he joined the club, it’s a going back on words, a loss of trust.

Club analysts have also pointed out to Behdad Egbhali that underlying season metrics and data did not stand Chelsea in good stead for future top four projection this season under Enzo Maresca with the way things were heading.

Behdad Egbhali also “hated” Maresca going public with his dig, especially the fact that he chose to do so when he had just left the country. The 48 hours comments were seen as a direct attack at the model. 

Sporting Directors – their view?

Sources contacted by LondonsFirst described Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, feeling a bit conflicted. 

On one hand, sources stated that they would like to see the season through with Maresca, as he was their pick and still had confidence in his coaching ability, but on the other hand, they recognise that the ultimate power and issue lays with Clearlake Capital.

While underperformance and tactical decisions were also put to Maresca by them, there is perhaps a feeling that it would not be at this stage just yet, if they had the ultimate say. 

Interestingly, sources added that the “Sporting directors” so unfortunately no specific one/s named, as Chelsea have a whole group of them, are growing annoyed with so much external blame, when in fact they are the ones being hamstrung by the wage cap policy.

They are all working to their briefing by Clearlake and are not always signing their preferred number one target as they simply do not have it their way due to financial reasons. 

Players – Unhappy or not? 

Differing sources will tell you different things, and it is expected that Chelsea will come out through various outlets and brief that key players were unhappy in order to rationalise any imminent decision. 

On our end, we have heard that some are confused and also annoyed with all the drama and instability at the club. On the other hand, some are said to be open to a fresh start with training sessions becoming “monotonous”

A source close to one player pointed out how Maresca would often publicly declare confidence and trust in his squad, yet that never felt reflective with certain decisions. 

Enzo Maresca’s future options

It is unclear when Maresca would return to management should he leave Chelsea, but a source told LondonsFirst that, amongst other clubs, he would be keen on a move to Manchester United should a vacancy arise.