"Pressure Mounts: Enzo Maresca Faces Potential Sacking at Chelsea in Just Weeks"

Table of Contents

• Maresca's Illness and Fan Reactions
• Future Uncertainty
• Changing Support from Fans
• Challenges of Being Chelsea Manager

ENZO MARESCA is unwell. Meanwhile, both fans and management at Chelsea appear to be growing frustrated with him as well.

Before Christmas, he was in a challenging position.

Enzo Maresca could be dismissed before the season concludes if Chelsea’s performance does not improve.Credit: EPA

Yet, Guardiola’s former assistant will return to the Etihad on Sunday amid significant doubts about his job security.

Maresca is questioned about why the Blues have again dropped points from a winning position at home.

However, he cannot avoid the typical post-match review with co-owner Behdad Eghbali and the club’s four recruitment leaders.

The frustration from supporters was palpable. When Maresca made a substitution with nearly half an hour remaining, boos echoed throughout Stamford Bridge, and some fans in the Matthew Harding Stand chanted, “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

Only two weeks prior, the away fans had sung the Italian’s name following a victory.

This seemed to be a show of support for the manager amid his dispute with management over a lack of backing at the beginning of the Blues’ dismal December run.

However, fan sentiment is shifting, with many turning against both Maresca and the club's leadership.

Much of the online criticism aimed at co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart is harsh. The atmosphere is becoming quite toxic.

If the Blues lose to title-chasing City and then fail to secure a win against their neighbors three days later, they could find themselves in mid-table.

With seven additional matches across four competitions scheduled in a nine-match January, the start of 2026 is poised to be crucial for both Maresca and Chelsea’s immediate future.

Terminating the Italian’s contract before the season ends and hiring a FIFTH permanent manager in less than four years would signify a failure on the part of the ownership.

However, not qualifying for next season’s competitions would be a significant setback for the club’s finances and reputation.

Maresca understands that poor performance and unnecessary conflicts with superiors are not conducive to job security.

One begins to question whether he even cares. Perhaps a substantial severance package and a new opportunity, whether at City or back in Italy, could be appealing to him.

Moreover, Chelsea has not been discouraging the rumored connections between Maresca and City.

A separation is starting to feel inevitable.

Whether this occurs before the season concludes, when Blues management planned to evaluate Maresca's progress, remains uncertain.

An improvement in results would delay the need for a decision. The absence of credible alternatives, whether for an interim or permanent position, is also a consideration.

Sources suggest that an elite-level head coach is unlikely to be interested in the role.

Being Chelsea's manager under the current ownership is challenging. There is an expectation to deliver consistent results with a constantly changing squad that is the youngest in the league.

However, fans and management at Stamford Bridge believe that it is not as difficult as Maresca is currently making it appear.