Chelsea dressing room reaction to Enzo Maresca's stunning exit revealed by Pedro Neto as winger admits players were 'surprised' and 'sad'

Despite overseeing Chelsea's Club World Cup win this summer and guiding them to Champions League qualification last season, the Blues have parted ways with the 45-year-old. This may have been coming, though, after Maresca said the two days prior to the win over Everton in December were "the worst since I joined the club because people didn't support me and the team". Many assumed this was a dig at the board, and right at the start of 2026, Chelsea have decided to swing the axe.

A club statement on his departure reads: "Chelsea Football Club and Head Coach Enzo Maresca have parted company. During his time at the club, Enzo led the team to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Those achievements will remain an important part of the Club’s recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the club. With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track. We wish Enzo well for the future."

Portugal international Neto swapped Wolves for Chelsea in the summer of 2024, when Maresca joined the Stamford Bridge outfit. Since arriving in west London, the winger has made notable improvements to his game and is a first-team regular. Naturally, the 25-year-old was "sad" to see the ex-Manchester City coach go, while thanking him for his help.

He told Sky Sports: "When I heard the news, in the beginning, I was a little bit surprised, because the manager did very good for us. He did an unbelievable season last year, he was doing a good season this year. For me, I’d be a little bit sad because it was the manager that helped me a lot. He helped me a lot, I learned a lot with him. On personal terms, he was unbelievable as well. So the only thing I can say is ‘thank you’."

While Under-21s coach Calum McFarlane is set to take charge of the senior side's trip to Manchester City on Sunday, it seems Strasbourg's Liam Rosenior is the heavy favourite to be the next man at the helm for the Blues. As the French side and the Premier League outfit are both owned by BlueCo, the 41-year-old appears to be the most convenient appointment. But Rosenior himself has given little away about this "speculation".

He said: "I'm going to talk about Nice because that's my job. There's a lot of noise, a lot of speculation, but as a coach, if you get involved in that, you fail. My job is here, I love this club. No, I haven't spoken to the players about it. There's no need, they're connected and I've had a few lighthearted jokes. But we've been focused on our work. The goal is to continue creating great things here.

"In life, there are zero guarantees. You never know what tomorrow will bring. I'm just doing my job. There's already been speculation. I don't want to guarantee how long I'll be here, but I enjoy myself here every day. I intend to continue doing so as long as I'm here. I love this club, but I can't guarantee anything. Nobody can. I want to do my job here, it's simple. The reality today is that I am the manager of Strasbourg and I am focused on my position. There are exchanges because we are part of the same group. I'm honest, you can never control everything in life. I could say I'm going to stay here for years and then get fired."

While BlueCo try to get a new manager in place as soon as possible, fifth-placed Chelsea travel to Man City, who sit second, this weekend before taking the short trip to local rivals Fulham on Wednesday. They then begin their FA Cup campaign away to Championship outfit Charlton Athletic on January 10.