Manchester City has officially announced the appointment of Enzo Maresca as its new manager, succeeding Pep Guardiola. Maresca has signed a three-year deal with the club. This announcement comes as Chelsea FC released a statement detailing the circumstances surrounding Maresca’s departure from Stamford Bridge on 1 January 2026.
Chelsea’s statement described the 2025/26 season as “hugely disappointing” and attributed a significant part of this to the disruption caused by changes to the Head Coach position over the Christmas period. The club indicated that Maresca informed them in autumn of the previous year about a potential opportunity to succeed Guardiola at Manchester City. It became clear to Chelsea that Maresca had a strong desire to pursue this opportunity, despite being under a long-term contract that he had no right to terminate.
Maresca’s departure from Chelsea
In December 2025, Maresca unexpectedly resigned from his position at Chelsea. The club stated that they felt let down, believing his focus had shifted to another club and opportunity, despite having joined Chelsea only the year before. Chelsea ultimately accepted his resignation, stating they had no choice but to protect their players, supporters, and the club’s integrity given his decision not to continue fulfilling his responsibilities through to the end of the season.
Maresca himself issued an apology for the disruption his exit caused. He stated on his personal Instagram account that the decision to resign was solely his, opening a path for him to join Manchester City, a club he was familiar with. He acknowledged that his mid-season departure caused disruption for Chelsea and apologised for it, clarifying it was neither his intention nor his wish.
Reports indicate that Manchester City will pay Chelsea £17m in compensation. This figure is related to Maresca’s departure from Chelsea with three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract. Both Manchester City and Maresca will pay compensation to Chelsea following confidential settlements. Chelsea confirmed that a confidential settlement was reached with Manchester City, which includes the payment of compensation, and a separate confidential settlement was reached with Maresca, under which he will also pay compensation.
Impact of the mid-season change
Chelsea finished the 2025/26 season in 10th place in the Premier League, only remaining in the top half of the table on goal difference. Following Maresca’s departure, Chelsea appointed Liam Rosenior, who was subsequently sacked after 106 days in charge. The club ended the season without European football.
Maresca had been appointed to his role at Chelsea in June 2024. By the end of October, the club was in ninth place, two points off the top five. The relationship between Maresca and Chelsea reportedly became strained over time, with factors such as poor form, public comments to the media, and disagreements with medical staff contributing to the pressure. His final game in charge was a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth.
Manchester City confirmed that confidential conversations took place between their representatives and Enzo Maresca in autumn and winter of 2025, while he was still Chelsea’s Head Coach. These discussions concerned the possibility of him returning to City in a transitional leadership coaching capacity should Pep Guardiola decide to leave. City acknowledged Chelsea’s statement regarding the context of Maresca’s departure and recognised that his mid-season exit was disruptive to Chelsea’s season.
Looking ahead, Chelsea has appointed Xabi Alonso as their new manager for the upcoming season. The club expressed confidence in Alonso’s football knowledge and integrity to deliver success.
Maresca previously served as Guardiola’s assistant coach at Manchester City during the 2022/23 season, contributing to the club’s Treble-winning campaign. His return to Manchester City comes just under seven months after his departure from Stamford Bridge on 1 January 2026.
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Source: chelseafc.com
As NewsGB's Senior Football Correspondent, Jack Ferndale reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He covered north-east football for a regional daily. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland and completed an NCTJ diploma. Jack lives in Sunderland, where he watches lower-league football home and away. “The story is in the squad, not just the starting eleven.”
