Revealed: Enzo Maresca told Chelsea bosses he wanted to quit IMMEDIATELY after Bournemouth draw as he skipped press conference duties

Disgruntled home fans aired their frustration after seeing the Cherries leave Stamford Bridge with a share of the points on December 30. Maresca was already facing questions of his future at that point, having spoken out against a supposed lack of support ahead of a Premier League clash with Everton.

Those comments did not sit well with the Chelsea board, who felt that their efforts were being undermined in public. It has since been revealed that Maresca held talks with Manchester City and Juventus over the first half of the 2025-26 campaign regarding potential future posts at the Etihad Stadium and with the Serie A heavyweights.

Maresca’s position quickly became untenable, with Todd Boehly and Co being backed into a corner. The axe eventually fell at the start of 2026, with Chelsea back in the market for a new head coach. They are being heavily linked with Liam Rosenior, who is currently calling the shots at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg - one of the Blues’ sister clubs.

Movement could, however, have happened at the end of 2025. Fabrizio Romano has revealed as much, with Maresca’s path to the exits at Stamford Bridge being mapped out on the Here We Go Podcast.

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Romano has said: “In the last days, the draw against Bournemouth was probably the final point when they understood that they couldn’t continue together - Maresca and Chelsea. Maresca didn’t go to do his press conference after the game and it was not because he was feeling sick or having any personal problems, it was just because I’m told that Enzo Maresca - after the game - went directly to the Chelsea directors and owners and told them that he wanted to leave the club.

“He was feeling that the situation was not possible to adjust and change any time soon. Chelsea had the same feeling - their feeling with Maresca was not positive at all, and that is also why they decided to come out of this agreement.

“The situation was tense in the last couple of weeks, obviously also because of the results. But it is not just about results, it is also about several things including the strategy, the transfers, for example.

“I think one crucial moment where the relationship started to break between Chelsea and Enzo Maresca was in the summer when Levi Colwill - one of the best players for Chelsea - broke his ACL and was set for several months out. At that moment Enzo Maresca went public by saying he needed a centre-back. Maresca had a feeling that Chelsea, to compete in several competitions in the best way possible, needed another centre-back.

“Chelsea as a club decided to stick with the team they had and trust the young players like Josh Acheampong and didn’t want to sign a player. They were like, ‘we decide the strategy’, so it’s not the manager asking in public. In that moment, that is where things started to get tense and how we got to the point where it is over between Enzo and Chelsea.”

Maresca is now waiting on enticing offers, as he looks to make an immediate return to the dugout, with there no positions for him to fill at City or Juventus for now. He may need another stepping stone before heading to Manchester or Turin.

Chelsea, meanwhile, find themselves in the familiar position of requiring another figure to fill their dugout. It has been suggested that they will once again favour youth and potential over proven pedigree, with ex-Derby and Hull City boss Rosenior seemingly fitting the bill there.