Chelsea just won 3-1 against Cardiff City and reached the semi-finals of the League Cup. However, Enzo Maresca was still unhappy. Last weekend, Maresca said he had experienced his most stressful 48 hours since taking charge of Chelsea. Since then, he has not spoken to anyone in the club's leadership.
It all started at the press conference after Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 last weekend. He mentioned the lack of trust received from the board. Maresca did not specifically mention any of the board who lacked confidence in him, only mentioning Malo gust's goal and thanking all the reporters for their attendance. Then, at the press conference before the match against Cardiff, Maresca declined to comment on the above statements. However, he also showed that he did not regret what he had shared.
Enzo Maresca is being criticized by the British media a lot, as a new prominent issue for Chelsea. The Athletic said that Chelsea were completely surprised by the 45-year-old's reaction. At this time, a big question mark is being placed in the dressing room at Stamford Bridge, it is unclear who Maresca is referring to to causing difficulties and pressure for him.
Chelsea have not made any major changes to Maresca's squad since his appointment in June 2024. The board still have the right to decide on transfers but they all consult the coaching staff first, with the head being Enzo Maresca. Therefore, the source of Maresca's outburst may not have come from here.
Regardless of whether Chelsea wins or loses, the coaching staff must hold an evaluation meeting with the board of directors, which is a must at Stamford Bridge. For each coach, they are considered a total in the second summer. This time, everything is still scheduled as before. June 2026 will be the time for the board to evaluate Maresca.
This season, Maresca has been criticized a lot for his personnel rotation decisions. He often changes the starting lineup continuously, even though the group of 11 players who were on the field and started the match could still play well. Maresca has not shown where the conflict will arise because each decision to use a human is decided by the medical team and the coaching staff.
No one opposes Maresca rotating to use the pillars to keep them, as in the case of captain Reece James. However, there is a clear reality that Maresca is facing a somewhat poor quality style of play when the pillars are not on the field.
Regarding the pressure of achievements, Maresca has not been forced to win any title. Last season, they won the Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, and won a Champions League ticket. However, there has been no direction from Chelsea's board about the Italian strategist being forced to win the Premier League or Champions League this season. If there is, it is just about maintaining the right to participate in the Champions League and win a small tournament (FA Cup or League Cup), which is not beyond the reach of The Blues.
Enzo Maresca's current contract runs until June 2029, and Chelsea have the right to extend it for another year. Maresca has now replaced his agent for two months, Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo's former manager.
Maresca has only worked for a year and rarely a team discusses the future of a coach when things are still going well. Last season, Arne Slot won the Premier League with Liverpool. The Dutch strategist's contract term with The Kop is only until June 2027, but the board of directors at Anfield has not yet considered the overall review and extension for him.
In August, Chelsea rewarded sporting directors Winstanley and Stewart for their contributions by extending their contracts from 2028 to 2031. Joe Shields (recruitment/talent) and Sam Jewell (global recruitment) were also extended their contracts for another 3 years and promoted to sporting director.
The quartet have only one more year left on their contracts with Chelsea than Maresca, so if the extension is implemented, there will not be a big difference.
