Maresca Friction Forces Chelsea’s Hierarchy Onto the Back Foot | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca has played a blinder over the past week.

Last Saturday’s unexpected reveal that the build-up to Everton was the “worst 48 hours” of his role at Chelsea created major headlines and rampant speculation about his future.

Although many articles questioned his judgement and claimed how reckless his words were, they have only seemed to strengthen his position in the eyes of fans. The general feeling of support for Maresca was vindicated by the away end in Cardiff loudly singing his name after Tuesday’s win.

Thursday brought with it a bombshell piece in The Athletic that Manchester City rank the Italian highly among potential candidates to replace Pep Guardiola in 2026, amid fears this could be his last season at the Etihad.

Friday’s press conference saw Maresca defuse the situation, strongly rejecting the speculation. “I have a contract until 2029. It doesn’t affect me at all because that is 100 per cent speculation. And in this moment, there is no time for these kinds of things.”

At the very least, Maresca’s quotes give little ammunition to ramp up speculation further. What this entire week’s saga has done, however, is place fresh scrutiny on Chelsea’s hierarchy and what this “project” is really about.

Spotlight Turns to the Board

In any scenario where Maresca were to exit the club before the beginning of next season, the positions of sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart should become untenable. In that scenario, they would have overseen three head coaches passing through the club in three years since the beginning of 2023.

They would have spent well over a billion pounds in that period and, by the current looks of things, would not have delivered a Premier League title—or even a credible title challenge. Nowhere near the 100-point team co-owner Behdad Eghbali was said to be building several years back.

You cannot express a commitment to a long-term, collaborative approach if the head coach regularly falls out with the hierarchy or is sacked within 18 months. The irony that this merely continues the short-termism of the Roman Abramovich era—which Clearlake purported to distance themselves from—cannot be ignored.

Speculation Running Rampant

Many people have injected their own perception of Chelsea into Maresca’s undeniably vague quotes. That should come with some caution, particularly given they were not subsequently clarified by the man himself.

However, a broader conversation about the sporting directors’ positions is more than fair game. Who would replace Maresca if he left? The heavy implication after Mauricio Pochettino’s departure was that Chelsea’s decision-makers had no interest in appointing a big-name, big-ego figure, which is why they committed to the inexperienced Maresca.

For those who would not lose sleep if Maresca departed tomorrow, the immediate concern should be who would replace him within this current model. Not only is there no 2021 Thomas Tuchel or 2015 Jürgen Klopp waiting to be hired, but would Clearlake’s Chelsea even be interested in appointing a coach of that pedigree?

The Clearlake Conundrum

That gets to the heart of the Clearlake question. This model appears content to walk a contradictory tightrope: wanting the principles of a smaller, less ambitious club that buys cheap young players to develop and sell for major profit, while simultaneously desiring to sit among football’s elite.

While Chelsea cite Liverpool and Arsenal as relatable models, both clubs have spent more on ready-made stars. Arsenal have also given Mikel Arteta significantly more influence over six years in charge. One theory explaining Maresca’s public frustration links to a lack of influence—something Chelsea may be unwilling to concede.

The problem is this: what coach, elite or otherwise, is the right fit for this model? One who never asks questions? One who never asks for more? Or one who does not adjust their stance once success arrives? As with recruiting young players for lower fees, if those players become good, they will demand higher wages and firmer commitments.

Maresca may yet force a decision on what kind of club Chelsea want to be—and whether their current structure can realistically bring a league title back to Stamford Bridge in the next couple of years.

You can follow my coverage of Chelsea on YouTube at SonOfChelsea. More written coverage of the club on Substack. Follow me on X for more thoughts, along with listening to the podcast.