The writing was on the wall for Chelsea's season when Enzo Maresca made the shock decision to jump ship to Manchester City – and now the club is making it clear they're laying the blame squarely at his feet. In a scathing statement, Chelsea claims Maresca's pursuit of the Etihad hotseat while still under contract led to a toxic mix of instability and poor form.
It all started in autumn 2025 when Maresca dropped a bombshell on Stamford Bridge by informing Chelsea he was being lined up as Pep Guardiola's successor. But instead of seeing this as an opportunity for growth, the club felt Maresca was already checking out – a feeling that only intensified when he resigned in December 2025 without warning. "We felt let down," the statement said, implying that Maresca's priorities had shifted.
The consequences were brutal: under interim manager Liam Rosenior, Chelsea suffered five consecutive defeats without scoring – their worst run since 1912. A once-promising season was left in tatters as they plummeted to a disappointing 10th place finish and missed out on European qualification altogether.
But the financial fallout is only just beginning: Chelsea has confirmed it's reached a 'confidential settlement' with Manchester City over Maresca's £17 million compensation package. And Maresca will also be expected to cough up cash for breaking his contract – a bitter pill to swallow for a club that feels they've been wronged.
Maresca, meanwhile, is spinning this as a 'brilliant opportunity' to join a club he knows inside out. He's even praised City as an 'incredibly well-run football club', a far cry from previous reports of his discontent with Chelsea's hierarchy. Time will tell if he can replicate the success that Guardiola achieved – but for now, it's clear who's taking the blame in West London.