Chelsea let RIP at Enzo Maresca in furious statement after his official appointment as Man City's new manager

The west London club made no effort to hide their resentment in an official club statement released on Monday. Despite giving the green light for the move, the Blues hierarchy took the rare step of addressing fans with a detailed breakdown of the Italian's departure without actually naming him.

"Chelsea FC appreciates the 2025/26 season was a hugely disappointing one for the club and its supporters. A major contributing factor was the disruption caused as a result of changes that the club was forced to make to the head coach position over the Christmas period," the statement began. "Due to recent developments, we consider that it is important to explain to our supporters what happened and why our former head coach left the club on January 1, 2026."

Chelsea’s leadership claimed they were first made aware of the manager's interest in the City job during the autumn, which they believe compromised the club’s campaign. The statement added: "In autumn last year, the club was informed by our former head coach that there might be an opportunity for him to succeed Pep Guardiola at the end of the season.

"It became clear to us that it was his strong desire to succeed Guardiola and that he was fully committed to pursuing the opportunity, despite the fact he was under a long-term contract which he had no right to terminate.

"In December 2025, our head coach unexpectedly and abruptly resigned from his position. Obviously, we felt let down as we believed that his head and heart were focused on another club and another opportunity, despite having just arrived at Chelsea the year before.

"No club wants to change its head coach midway through a season. However, in light of his decision not to continue fulfilling his responsibilities through to the end of the season, the club was left with no choice but to protect our players, our supporters and the badge and accept his resignation."

While the parting of ways was clearly acrimonious, the financial details have finally been resolved. Chelsea confirmed a confidential settlement had been reached with Manchester City and the coach himself, though reports suggest the compensation figure to be in the region of £17 million. "In the circumstances and given the mutual respect between clubs, a confidential settlement has been reached with Manchester City, which includes the payment of compensation. A confidential settlement has also been reached with the former Head Coach under which he will pay compensation," the club said.

Taking to social media to share his side of the story, Maresca admitted he was the driving force behind the exit. He said: "At the end of December 2025, I made the difficult decision to leave Chelsea.

"The decision was only mine. My resignation from Chelsea opened a path for me to join Manchester City, which is a club I knew very well. I am ecstatic that I have now joined Manchester City.

"I recognise that my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise for that. It was neither my intention nor my wish.

"I was treated well by everyone at Chelsea and together we achieved great success and memories that I will always treasure. I am grateful to the club, the owners and the fans for giving me the opportunity."

Despite the bitter exit, Chelsea were keen to highlight their future under Xabi Alonso, who has already taken the reins at Stamford Bridge. In a final dig at Maresca, the club praised Alonso’s character: "Looking forward to next season, in Xabi Alonso, we have a manager who has an exceptional football mind and is a professional of the highest integrity. He has all the attributes to deliver the success the club’s supporters deserve and expect."

Maresca leaves behind a complicated legacy in London; while he successfully guided the team to Conference League and Club World Cup glory, his mid-season departure remains a sticking point for the board. He now faces the formidable task of replacing Guardiola, a manager who defined an era of dominance for the Cityzens.