The pieces are falling into place. Enzo Maresca's turbulent final weeks at Chelsea — the cryptic press conference, the early exit on New Year's Day, the severance he never collected — all look considerably less mysterious now that Manchester City are preparing to hand him the keys to Pep Guardiola's kingdom.

City are readying themselves for the end of the Guardiola era, and the noises out of the Etihad strongly suggest Maresca is their man. More tellingly, it appears that decision was not made last week. The Italian is believed to have spoken to City on two separate occasions while still under contract at Stamford Bridge — a revelation that has left Chelsea far from forgiving.

The 'worst 48 hours' — now in context

Cast your mind back to 13 December. Chelsea had just beaten Everton 2-0 in a thoroughly unremarkable performance when Maresca sat before the media and delivered one of the stranger managerial addresses in recent Premier League memory. He spoke of the previous 48 hours being the worst of his Chelsea tenure, of people in the building failing to back him and the squad. Nobody at the club was quite sure who he was referring to. Chelsea, according to those close to the situation, were genuinely perplexed.

The relationship deteriorated sharply across the following fortnight. By 30 December, after a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, Maresca walked into the manager's office at Stamford Bridge and told his employers he would not be conducting his post-match media duties. Sources familiar with that evening say it was, in effect, his resignation. He was officially gone two days later, the club's statement dropping in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Chelsea have not let the matter go quietly. Maresca departed without a penny in severance, leaving three and a half years on his contract. Sources close to the 45-year-old acknowledge that Chelsea are entitled to push for a sizeable compensation package before City can formalise his appointment. This was not, by any measure, a fond farewell.

The heir hiding in plain sight

Replacing Guardiola is one of football management's most unenviable briefs — a task comparable in weight to succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford or Jürgen Klopp at Anfield. Yet Maresca arrives with a genuine advantage: he already knows the City machine from the inside. He was part of Guardiola's backroom staff when the club won the treble in 2022-23, and Guardiola himself has backed his former assistant publicly.

Maresca's methods are recognisably City-coded. He favours positional play, deploys inverted full-backs, and approaches the game with a tactical rigidity that has earned him the nickname Diet Pep in some quarters. City know precisely what they are purchasing.

That said, his record does invite scrutiny. Leicester fans were not always sold on his brand of football even as he delivered the Championship title in 2024. At Chelsea, the results were mixed enough — a Champions League spot secured, the Conference League final won against Real Betis — but the football was frequently found wanting, and concerns about dogmatism in his systems were never far from the surface.

Chelsea left to pick up the pieces

From Chelsea's perspective, the damage is real. The club feel Maresca's departure derailed their season at a critical moment, leaving them to rebuild in January without the manager who had shaped the squad's identity. There are also reported tensions over how Maresca handled player workloads with the club's medical staff, adding further friction to an already bitter split.

Maresca, for his part, can probably absorb the criticism. He is on the verge of one of the most coveted jobs in European football. Chelsea may have cause to feel aggrieved, but the market for top managers is ruthless, and City moved early and decisively. The succession plan, it seems, was always a long time in the making.

Frequently asked

Why did Enzo Maresca leave Chelsea?
Maresca's relationship with Chelsea broke down in late 2025. He effectively handed in his resignation on 30 December by refusing post-match media duties after a draw with Bournemouth, and was officially gone on New Year's Day. Reports suggest he had spoken with Manchester City twice while still under contract, which Chelsea took very seriously.
Is Enzo Maresca replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City?
Maresca is widely expected to succeed Guardiola as Manchester City manager. He is top of their shortlist and previously worked as Guardiola's assistant during City's treble-winning 2022-23 season.
Will Chelsea receive compensation for Enzo Maresca joining Man City?
Yes. Maresca left Stamford Bridge without severance pay and had three and a half years remaining on his contract. Sources close to the situation acknowledge Chelsea are entitled to demand a sizeable compensation fee before City can officially appoint him.