'People have got to make decisions' - John Terry reveals 'frustration' after Chelsea decided against appointing him as caretaker manager or adding him to first-team staff

Terry is an active social media user and he commented on Maresca's exit in a TikTok video shortly after the sacking was confirmed on New Year's Day.

He said: "Enzo Maresca has just been sacked by Chelsea and to be honest I'm completely shocked, I didn't see it coming. I know things of late haven't been how he would like. You can see and hear that there’s been tension.

"I've had so many phone calls this morning after the news and everyone expects me to know what’s happening. I haven't got a clue what's happening, I'm not involved in the first team so I don't know.

"Just my opinion from afar, there's clearly been tension between the manager and the owner and they've come to this decision."

McFarlane led Chelsea into their Premier League fixtures away at Manchester City and Fulham. After earning a credible 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium thanks to a last-minute goal from Enzo Fernandez, the Blues lost 2-1 at Craven Cottage having seen Marc Cucurella pick up a red card midway through the first half. Rosenior then decided to promote McFarlane to his first-team coaching setup, leaving behind his responsibilities in the academy.

On Jimmy Bullard's 'Golf Life' YouTube channel, Terry admitted that he would have gladly stepped in as caretaker manager if the club asked him to, while he was also left confused at not even forming part of McFarlane's senior coaching setup for his two games at the helm.

"(I wasn't) annoyed, probably more frustrated because I was certainly part of that U21s group that went over," Terry said.

"So even if I didn't take the team. Obviously, Calum took the team and did really well. Got a result out of the game. 

"I feel like I should have been part of them. Now, listen. People have got to make decisions. I love it when people make decisions and they go yes or no. And clearly ownership or whoever made those decisions, the sporting directors have gone 'no', not to include me for whatever reason - why, I don't know."

Terry has coaching experience as an assistant manager under Dean Smith, working with him at Aston Villa from 2018 to 2021, and then at Leicester City in 2023. He was linked with the manager's job at Oxford United recently, and though he has consistently stressed he was never in the running for that role, admitted he needs other head coaching experience if he is to fulfil his dream of managing Chelsea.

"I got linked with the Oxford job recently, which... no truth in it at all," Terry continued.

"I hadn't spoken to them. Hadn't kind of put myself out there. And I'm not (looking to). Like I'm in the academy as you know. I'm working with the U18s and the U21s. Love my role there. It's (on) a part-time basis. 

"I've always said if Chelsea ever come up (I would love to take over) but then, realistically, do I get Chelsea without doing the other bits? Probably not."

Terry remains a Chelsea icon having made 717 appearances for the club - most of them as captain - between 1998 and 2017. He won 15 major trophies with the Blues, including five Premier League titles and their first-ever Champions League.