Chelsea will descend into chaos if Maresca is dismissed

The future of coach Enzo Maresca at Chelsea is more unstable than ever before. Yet, if the board opts to fire Maresca, they will confront many unforeseen dangers. Additionally, currently, there isn’t a figure trustworthy enough for Chelsea’s executives to appoint in his place.

After Chelsea unexpectedly won the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, they reached the pinnacle of world football in a way no one anticipated instead of... "choosing" to win the Champions League. From that point on, Chelsea’s management wanted the club to change. They demanded Enzo Maresca’s squad to compete fairly in the Premier League and were ready to "inject" funds for him to buy players.

A slew of players have arrived and many have left in various ways, all with the single goal of building the optimal squad aimed at winning each match. Yet, Chelsea remains just as "unstable" as before.

Chelsea’s recent string of poor results is pushing coach Enzo Maresca closer to the risk of being fired if there is no significant improvement in the coming weeks. The Stamford Bridge team has gone three consecutive Premier League matches without a win, including two draws and one loss, gradually falling behind in the race for the top 4.

Chelsea’s recent performance is unacceptable for a club with great ambitions and a strong desire to reach the Premier League summit after years under the "domination" of Liverpool and Man City, and recently facing a resurgent Arsenal who, although not champions yet, are formidable with three consecutive runner-up finishes.

Chelsea has only managed a single victory in their last seven Premier League matches. Broadening the scope to December, they won just 2 out of 8 games across all competitions. Consequently, the London club has dropped to fifth place in the standings, trailing the league leaders Arsenal by 15 points. This gap is substantial, and with Arsenal’s current results-focused style combined with Chelsea’s inconsistency, no Blues fan expects their beloved team to catch up and surpass the Gunners.

The reaction of fans at Stamford Bridge after the draw against Bournemouth said it all. A section of supporters did not hesitate to boo the team when the final whistle blew. The peak of dissatisfaction was chants of "do you even know what you have to do?" directed at Maresca when the Italian coach decided to substitute Cole Palmer.

In fact, after the match, Maresca was unable to attend the press conference due to health reasons, leaving the task to assistant Willy Caballero. It was a strange moment, even a gentle player like Cole Palmer seemed frustrated as he was playing well and capable of creating moments of brilliance.

According to sources in England, BlueCo, Chelsea’s operating group, is deeply concerned about this decline in form. The club’s owners will seriously consider terminating Maresca’s contract if the team’s performance does not improve before the end of January.

Even just two or three consecutive losses across all competitions could force Maresca to pack up and leave Stamford Bridge immediately. Overall, this is an enormous challenge as Chelsea faces a grueling schedule of nine matches in January, starting with an away game at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. Believe me, if Chelsea loses to Man City, trouble will come swiftly for Maresca.

Besides the pressure of results, cracks in the relationship between Maresca and the club are becoming evident. The Italian coach is reportedly unhappy with how the club operates. After a 1-2 defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League, Maresca attracted attention with his comment about experiencing the "worst 48 hours" of his tenure, as both he and his players felt they lacked necessary support. This indicates unresolved issues simmering beneath the surface, waiting to erupt.

The question for Chelsea’s management is: if they truly sack Maresca, who will replace him? Or will they appoint an interim coach to wait until summer for a new permanent manager? This could be an option but also a source of instability. Looking at top coaches currently, they are all settled. Zidane and Klopp have their own plans, nobody really knows what they want right now, but neither would likely steer a directionless "ship" like Chelsea.

If Maresca leaves, he will be Chelsea’s fifth permanent manager since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over in 2022. The chaotic memories of firing Tuchel and then Potter are still fresh, and the board understands the risks of making a mid-season decision. The club has spent considerable time and money managing these changes. It’s better for all parties to sit down and frankly address the issues. Things have not yet spiraled out of control, and Maresca still deserves support.