Tag: ENZO MARESCA

Enzo Maresca bid an emotional farewell to Chelsea fans on Tuesday, saying he had accomplished all he could during an 18‑month spell that revitalised the club before his abrupt exit on New Year’s Day.

The Italian manager was the latest casualty in Chelsea’s revolving door of coaches under BlueCo ownership after one win in seven Premier League games forced the club to act.

Under his guidance, Chelsea claimed the Conference League, the Club World Cup and secured Champions League qualification last season for the first time in two years but the Italian did not see eye-to-eye with the board, leading to his exit.

“My journey with Chelsea began with the preliminary rounds of the Conference League. I leave with the inner peace of leaving a prestigious club like Chelsea where it deserves to be,” Maresca wrote on Instagram.

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“I want to thank all the Chelsea fans for their support over the last 18 months. Support that was crucial to achieving Champions League qualification, winning the Conference League, and winning the Club World Cup.

“A special thank you to all the players who have accompanied me on this wonderful journey. I wish everyone who has shared every moment with me every success in this second half of the season and in the future.”

Following his departure last week, Chelsea’s under-21s head coach Calum McFarlane was placed in interim charge before Liam Rosenior was confirmed as Chelsea’s new head coach on Tuesday.

Chelsea parted ways with Enzo Maresca on Thursday, a dramatic fall from grace for the Italian who was named manager of the month for November before the club won just one of their last seven league games to fall out of the Premier League title race.

The Italian, who joined Chelsea in 2024 after steering Leicester City to Premier League promotion, leaves 18 months to the day since he was tasked with reviving the club’s fortunes after two years of failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Maresca eventually guided the London side to Champions League qualification with a fourth-placed finish, the Conference League trophy and the Club World Cup title in his first season with a young but expensively-built squad.

But a poor run of form in December and an uncharacteristic outburst from the Italian prompted the club hierarchy to take action and part ways with the 45-year-old manager.

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“Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company,” the club said in a statement.” 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.”

Chelsea were as high as third in November and were among the title contenders, high on confidence after they had also crushed Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

But they have since slipped to fifth in the league to sit 15 points behind leaders Arsenal at the halfway stage of the season.

Last month, Maresca voiced frustration over issues behind the scenes, saying he felt he had a lack of support from the club, describing a period after a 2-0 win over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” of his tenure.

The Italian did not clarify what he meant by the comment but the damage seemed to have been done as Chelsea’s league form nosedived.

Although Chelsea beat Cardiff City to reach the League Cup semi-finals, they picked up only two points in their last three Premier League games.

Off the pitch, there was also the unwelcome distraction of rubbishing links to the Manchester City job as Maresca pointed out that he was committed to Chelsea where he had a contract until 2029.

But Tuesday’s 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth — where fans chanted, “You don’t know what you’re doing,” when he substituted playmaker Cole Palmer while they also booed at the final whistle — proved to be his final match in charge.

The club did not say who would take charge ahead of Sunday’s match against second-placed Manchester City.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been handed a one-match touchline ban and a fine of 8,000 pounds ($10,689) after he admitted a charge of misconduct during their 2-1 victory over Liverpool, England’s Football Association  has said.

Chelsea’s winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time sent Maresca into a frenzy and he raced along the touchline at Stamford Bridge to celebrate wildly with his players, earning a second yellow card and a dismissal from referee Anthony Taylor.

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“It was alleged that the manager acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour during the fixture, which led to his dismissal around the 96th minute,” the FA said in a statement.

“Enzo Maresca subsequently admitted the charge and accepted the standard penalty.”

Maresca will miss Chelsea’s next Premier League game away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Chelsea are seventh in the standings with 11 points, five points behind leaders Arsenal.

Enzo Maresca has challenged his misfiring Chelsea squad to step up during a lean spell for Cole Palmer, admitting “we rely on Cole for everything”.

The England attacking midfielder has scored 14 goals and provided six assists in the Premier League this season but his last goal was in mid-January and he last set up a goal on December 1.

Chelsea, just two points behind runaway leaders Liverpool in mid-December, have slipped to seventh in the table after three defeats in their past four games, though they are just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City.

Maresca, preparing his team to host rock-bottom Southampton today, said he was not worried about Palmer’s dip in form.

 “I’m not concerned about Cole because Cole is a human being and during the season he can have some moments where he struggles a little bit more,” he told reporters.

 “The problem with Cole is probably that we rely on Cole for everything and I said since we started that we need to rely on the team. For sure we need big players, top players like Cole, but we are not worried about Cole at all.”

He added: “Every game we expect from him a goal or assist. It’s difficult, he’s a human being, he’s a player. At this moment, probably his performance also reflects a little bit the team performance.

 “We struggle to score goals and we need to be a little bit more clinical when we get the chances.”

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The Italian, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, remains upbeat over Chelsea’s form as they chase a Champions League place.

 “Even against Villa (a 2-1 defeat on Saturday), I think the identity was there,” he said. “The way we play on the ball and off the ball was there, very similar to what we are doing during the season.

 “So the identity is there. I said after Aston Villa game, in this moment I have the feeling that winning one, we can have a good run again and we can build a good momentum again. That is what I think in this moment the players need.”

Several Chelsea players have been the subject of speculation in the January transfer window, which is impacting the club’s form, manager Enzo Maresca said ahead of a Premier League meeting with West Ham United.

Chelsea were second in the standings and hot on the heels of leaders Liverpool in December after a run of five straight league wins, but have since fallen to sixth and won just one of their last seven matches.

In the same period, players like defender Axel Disasi and forwards Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix have been linked with moves away from the club.

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Asked if the speculation has had an adverse effect on the team, Maresca told reporters: “100%. 100% for me. But not only us, all the teams, because in the end (the players) are human beings.

“Even if they are say, ‘no, I’m professional, I’m focused on this’, if they are talking about you and different clubs then the focus is not 100%. This can be something (to explain their drop in form).”

On Monday, Chelsea host 14th -placed West Ham in what will be former manager Graham Potter’s first return to Stamford Bridge since he was sacked in 2023.

Maresca said Potter had transformed West Ham since taking charge earlier this month, adding: “They are very aggressive.

Chelsea head coach, Enzo Maresca was full of praises for Nigerian defender Tosin Adarabioyo following his impressive performance for the Blues in the 5-0 FA Cup victory over Morecambe last weekend.

Adarabioyo was instrumental in the win, scoring Chelsea’s opening goal and later adding the third to help the Blues secure a dominant victory and progress to the next round of the competition.

His brace took his tally to three goals in 17 appearances across all competitions this season for Chelsea.

Maresca expressed his satisfaction with the defender’s attacking contribution, highlighting his ability to exploit space during the game.

“It was a picture of the game as most of the time he was the only one with that amount of space because all the rest, they were man-to-man around the box so he was the one who could carry the ball and try that option so we are happy for him,” Maresca told the club’s official website.

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The Italian manager further commended the defender’s attacking mind-set despite his primary role as a centre-back, emphasizing the importance of taking risks when the opportunity arises.

“He can do that but as a central defender you struggle to see them on the edge of the box attacking. But when you arrive there, we have to try that type of solution,” Maresca added.

Adarabioyo’s impressive performance is expected to further boost his confidence as he continues to solidify his place in Maresca’s starting line-up.

Next for Adarabioyo and Chelsea is a home game with Bournemouth today at the Stamford Bridge as they strive to build on their win in the FA Cup with another one in the Premier League against the Cherries to solidify their return to the UEFA Champions League.

Enzo Maresca bemoaned his Chelsea side’s wasteful finishing after they were punished by Crystal Palace’s late equaliser at Selhurst Park.

The Blues dominated the first-half of Saturday’s Premier League meeting and made a host of chances even as the Eagles improved after the break, but failed to add to Cole Palmer’s 14th-minute opener.

In all, they managed 15 shots but just one on target and Jean-Philippe Mateta eventually struck eight minutes from time to earn Oliver Glasner’s men a share of the points.

“Between the first-half and second-half, we created enough chances to win the game but in football you need to be clinical otherwise the game is always open,” Maresca said.

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“Especially in this stadium – any transition, any corner boosts the energy for them. Unfortunately at the end we conceded but I think overall we did enough to win the game.

“Today, if I had to decide the reason we didn’t win the game, it’s to try to be clinical when you have the chance to kill the game because at 2-0 it’s probably finished.”

The 1-1 draw means Chelsea’s winless run now stands at four games and from the heels of Premier League leaders Liverpool they have slipped back into the heart of a crowded race for the top four.

Chelsea head coach, Enzo Maresca, has praised Super Eagles and Fulham midfielder, Alex Iwobi, alongside his teammates for putting up a fight at the Stamford Bridge yesterday evening, Soccernet.ng reports.

Prior to yesterday’s clash, Fulham hadn’t secured a win at Chelsea’s home ground since 1979, but turned things around with a late double yesterday.

Cole Palmer broke the deadlock in the first half after brilliantly beating three Fulham players just outside the 18-yard box to create enough room for him to place the ball into the bottom corner of Bernd Leno’s goal.

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Fulham grew into the game, and kept on piling pressure on the Blues in the second half, notably from the connection of Iwobi and Antonee Robinson down Chelsea’s right-hand side, and the move yielded dividends in the 82nd minute.

The pair combined brilliantly to send a cross to the back post towards Timothy Castagne who then headed back to Harry Wilson to score the equalizer.

“Yeah. It is exactly what I said to them. That we can manage the game better. Cole Palmer said the same. I think we conceded too many transitions in the second half. It is a team with players like Iwobi, Adama, Jimenez. They are very good in transition. And you have to control the game better, but it is a game that we can learn many thing,” the former Leicester Coach said as revealed on FootballR.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has talked up his preference for having so many versatile players in his first-team squad.

Despite rejecting claims that he has separate teams for the Premier League and cup competitions, Maresca has made full use of the players at his disposal for those aforementioned tournaments.

On Thursday evening, Chelsea cruised to a 4-1 victory over Panathinaikos in the Conference League having again made 11 changes to his team.

Joao Felix netted a double alongside a Mykhaylo Mudryk header and a Christopher Nkunku penalty as the Blues recorded their second successive win in European football’s third-tier competition.

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As well as the attacking players staking their claim for more opportunities in the Premier League, Renato Veiga impressed in the middle of the defence.

Before moving to Stamford Bridge in the summer, the 21-year-old was a relative unknown at Basel, but he has since progressed into an important squad member at Chelsea and Portugal international.

Veiga was partly signed for his ability to play at left-back, centre-back and as a defensive midfielder, and he has duly made a positive impact in each role.

Coach Enzo Maresca has hailed Leicester City’s campaign after the Foxes were crowned Championship champions. Maresca’s men defeated Preston North End 3-0 at Deepdale on Monday evening to seal the title, courtesy of a Jamie Vardy double either side of half-time and Kasey McAteer’s strike – win no.31 of an extraordinary season.

Reflecting on the 2023/24 campaign as a whole, the Italian expressed his emotions while taking in the atmosphere on the pitch after full-time in Lancashire.

The 44-year-old commented: “It’s been an amazing season, tough in some moments, but it’s football and we know that. We enjoy it and it’s all about these guys behind me (the players and fans), it’s fantastic.

 “We achieved our target and we see the people happy. We are very happy. It was a good win and we finished our job. Now we enjoy and then we have time to think about it.”

Showing metal and strength in the face of adversity, City were, at one stage, 17 points clear at the top, before the other promotion candidates came back into view. A strong mentality, and quality at both ends of the pitch, saw Leicester through in the end, Maresca believes.

City’s Manager continued: “We knew (at the start of the season) that Leicester’s target is to get promoted but you know sometimes it happens, sometimes strange things happen. But you can see how tough this league is.

“Many teams are fighting but now we finish in the right way. We were favourites but Leeds too and Southampton. You have to do the job and we did it.”

They (the players) enjoyed for two days (after promotion was confirmed), but when you work hard and you are rewarded with something, you have to enjoy.

Special scenes greeted Maresca and the team, with over 5,000 away fans backing his side in the North West.

Their vocal support on the night and during the campaign has been appreciated, he added.

“It’s unbelievable (the support),” the former Manchester City coach stated. “We are very grateful for all of their support throughout the season. They (the players) enjoyed for two days (after promotion was confirmed), but when you hard work and you are rewarded with something, you have to enjoy.

“So they enjoyed it and tonight they showed their professionalism. We’ll try to prepare for the (Blackburn) game in the best way and finish with a win to get 100 points.”

Premier League target

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The Leicester City manager also talks about the difficulties of his first year in charge at the King Power Stadium and what he wants from the club now they’re back in the top flight

Maintaining their Premier League status will be the aim, and it could be a tough ask given they are expected to be handed a points deduction for a Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR) breach.

Maresca said those financial issues, which led to drama in the January transfer window as a deal for Inter Milan’s Stefano Sensi falling through and could yet see City sell players in June as they look to avoid a second breach of PSR, have been a difficult part of the season.

But the toughest aspect has been the battle against the perceptions in the squad and the fanbase that City are better than the Championship.

 “After one year in this club, if you ask me, I can give you my opinion. In the last history of this club, this club achieved important things. So the memory of the people is about winning the Premier League and winning the FA Cup.

“The Championship reality has been tough for the players, but also for the fans. Now that we are promoted, people that still think about the Premier League or the FA Cup or the things this club achieved, it’s good to have in the memory but the reality is completely different. Next year, the target is not the Premier League, the target is not the FA Cup. The target has to be to maintain, to avoid the relegation.

“So far after one year, too many people have still fresh in their mind the things this club achieved. I understand that to switch from that to the relegation is not easy. Probably it has been the most difficult thing.”