City Dream Over Italy: Why Maresca Won't Return to Serie A

When Enzo Maresca left Chelsea on January 1, 2026, the timing told you everything. Not at season's end, not after a catastrophic run—right on New Year's Day, following reports that he'd informed Chelsea's hierarchy about discussions with Manchester City. The 46-year-old Italian's exit wasn't a failure; it was a calculated repositioning for what he views as his destiny: succeeding his former mentor Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. Any speculation about a romantic return to Serie A is dead on arrival.

The Numbers Behind Maresca's Chelsea Tenure

Let's establish what Maresca actually accomplished before dissecting why he left. Over 18 months at Stamford Bridge, his record was undeniably impressive: 55 wins, 16 draws, and 21 losses across 92 matches—a 62% win percentage that ranks among the best in Chelsea's post-Roman Abramovich era. More importantly, he delivered silverware. Chelsea won the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League, dismantling Real Betis 4-1 in the final, and followed that with victory at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to claim their first-ever title in the expanded tournament format.

His maiden Premier League campaign ended with a fourth-place finish and Champions League qualification—the first time Chelsea had secured Europe's elite competition since the 2021-22 season under Thomas Tuchel. Maresca was named Premier League Manager of the Month twice (September 2024 and November 2025), recognition that reflected his tactical sophistication and ability to maximize a bloated squad. He used a club-record 39 different players throughout the 2024-25 season and handed debuts to eight Academy graduates, joint-most in Chelsea's history. These weren't just participation trophies; Maresca had genuinely built something functional at Stamford Bridge.

But success metrics don't tell the full story. Chelsea's 2025-26 season began unraveling almost immediately. After a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace in mid-August, the Blues won just two of their opening six Premier League fixtures, including a humiliating 3-1 defeat to Brighton in late September. The downward spiral accelerated through December, culminating in a six-game winless streak that saw Chelsea lose ground in the title race. Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth—where Reece James' late free-kick salvaged a point—left Chelsea fifth in the table, 15 points behind Arsenal. Fans booed the team off at full-time. Maresca described the 48 hours preceding a 2-0 win over Everton on December 13 as "the worst 48 hours of my life" due to what he perceived as insufficient institutional support.

The Man City Factor: Why Guardiola's Shadow Looms Large

Maresca's connection to Manchester City runs deeper than most realize. He spent the 2022-23 season as Guardiola's assistant manager, absorbing the Catalan's positional play philosophy during City's historic treble-winning campaign. That year, Maresca witnessed firsthand how Guardiola managed egos, rotated squads, and maintained tactical discipline across 60+ matches. The experience shaped his own "Marescaball" system at Leicester and Chelsea—possession-based football with defenders building from the back, inverted full-backs creating overloads in midfield, and fluid attacking rotations.

When Maresca left Chelsea on January 1, multiple outlets reported that sources at Stamford Bridge believed he'd held discussions with Manchester City over the preceding two months. ESPN specifically stated that Chelsea felt these talks were disrespectful, even though Maresca had privately indicated he'd be willing to sign a new contract if one were offered. The timing of his agent switch—from Wasserman to Jorge Mendes' Gestifute agency in late 2025—added fuel to speculation. Mendes, football's most powerful agent, doesn't take on clients without a strategic endgame. His involvement suggested Maresca was positioning himself for a major move, and City fit the profile perfectly.

Guardiola's situation at Manchester City is more complex than the simple "leaving in 2027" narrative suggests. Yes, he signed a contract extension in November 2024 that runs through June 2027, meaning he'll complete more than a decade at the Etihad. But Guardiola told ESPN Brasil in December 2024: "After my contract with City, I'm going to stop. I am sure. I don't know if I'm going to retire, but I'm going to take a break." That statement, combined with City's recent struggles—they endured a three-month winless streak in late 2024 before recovering—raised questions about whether Guardiola might step aside earlier to avoid tarnishing his legacy.

When asked about Maresca's departure on January 2, Guardiola was effusive in his praise: "The only thing I can say is that Chelsea, from my point of view, lose an incredible, incredible manager, incredible person." He added, exasperated by repeated questions about his own future: "I have a contract. I said a thousand million times. It's 10 years here, I will leave one day but I have a contract. I'm happy. I want to fight with my team." Despite Guardiola's public insistence, the reality is that Manchester City have been conducting succession planning. Maresca, who learned directly from the master and has proven he can win trophies while playing attractive football, represents the most natural heir apparent.

Why Serie A Was Never a Realistic Option

Despite Maresca's Italian heritage and journeyman playing career at clubs like Juventus, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, and Palermo, a return to his homeland never made sense. After retiring from playing in 2017, Maresca spent minimal time in Italy. His only Serie A coaching experience came during a brief, unsuccessful stint at Parma in 2021, where he lasted just six months before being sacked with the club sitting 17th in Serie B. That experience soured him on Italian football's political machinations and relentless media scrutiny.

Maresca's coaching DNA is fundamentally English now. He managed Manchester City's U-23 side to the 2020-21 Premier League 2 title, then served as Guardiola's assistant during City's treble season. His Championship title with Leicester in 2023-24 was a masterclass in implementing Guardiola-esque principles with limited resources—Leicester won the league by 14 points, scored 97 goals in 46 matches, and recorded an xG differential of +31.7, the highest in Championship history. That success earned him Chelsea's attention, and even though his tenure ended messily, Maresca proved he could handle elite-level pressure and deliver results in England's uniquely intense football environment.

Italian clubs did show sporadic interest. In late October 2025, when Juventus sacked Igor Tudor after an eight-match winless run, reports in Italy briefly linked Maresca with the vacant managerial role. However, the Daily Mail quickly reported that "Chelsea have received no approach from Juventus despite previous reports in Italy suggesting Maresca was a candidate." The report emphasized that Chelsea "have no interest in a mid-season managerial change" and that Luciano Spalletti was expected to take the job instead—which he did. Juventus' lukewarm interest reflected a broader truth: Italian clubs couldn't afford Maresca's salary demands, and Maresca himself had no desire to navigate Serie A's toxic ecosystem of interfering presidents, impatient fanbases, and Byzantine bureaucracy.

The Breakdown: What Really Happened at Chelsea

Maresca's departure wasn't solely about Manchester City. His relationship with Chelsea's sprawling management structure had deteriorated significantly. Sources told ESPN that Maresca clashed repeatedly with the club's medical department, which he felt unnecessarily restricted players' minutes. He also bristled at receiving technical feedback after every game from a support team that included five sporting directors—Paul Winstanley, Laurence Stewart, Joe Shields, Christopher Vivell, and technical director Christopher Freund. Maresca wanted greater autonomy over team selection, training methods, and tactical preparation, but Chelsea's BlueCo ownership model prioritizes collective decision-making over managerial omnipotence.

This philosophical divide became untenable during Chelsea's December slump. After a 2-0 Champions League loss to Atalanta on December 9, Maresca went public with his frustrations, telling reporters: "We need to be more consistent if you want to be up there. If you want to be a top team, you need top-level consistency every single game." The subtext was clear: he wasn't getting the institutional support required to compete with Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City. When fans booed the team off after the Bournemouth draw on January 14, Chelsea's hierarchy decided Maresca's discontent had become a liability.

The Manchester City talks were the final straw. According to sources at Chelsea, club officials felt Maresca's agent discussions with City represented a fundamental breach of trust. Even if no formal offer had been made—and City have repeatedly denied there's a vacancy to discuss—the optics of a sitting manager entertaining approaches from a Premier League rival were unacceptable. Chelsea's owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, have operated with ruthless pragmatism since purchasing the club in 2022. If a manager isn't fully committed, they're expendable, regardless of trophies won. Maresca's New Year's Day exit was mutual in name only; Chelsea made it clear his future lay elsewhere.

What Comes Next for Maresca

The most likely scenario is that Maresca remains out of work until Manchester City makes a move. Guardiola's contract runs through June 2027, but if City decide to transition earlier—perhaps this summer if they fail to qualify for the Champions League or endure another trophy-less campaign—Maresca will be the frontrunner. His familiarity with City's infrastructure, his tactical alignment with Guardiola's principles, and his proven ability to win trophies make him the obvious choice. City's hierarchy value continuity, and appointing Guardiola's former assistant would minimize disruption.

In the meantime, Maresca has positioned himself perfectly. At 46, he's young enough to wait for the right opportunity without urgency. His CV now includes a Championship title, a Conference League trophy, a Club World Cup, and Champions League qualification with one of the Premier League's most chaotic clubs. If City doesn't materialize, other elite jobs will. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid—all clubs that prioritize possession-based football—could come calling. Italy remains a distant option, but only if a truly elite club like Inter or AC Milan offered complete autonomy, which neither would grant.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have moved quickly to identify a replacement. Liam Rosenior, currently managing Strasbourg (also owned by BlueCo), has emerged as the leading candidate according to ESPN sources. The 41-year-old former Hull City and Derby County manager fits Chelsea's profile: young, tactically progressive, and willing to work within the club's unique governance structure. Other names floated include Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner and Como's Cesc Fabregas, though ESPN reports both have been ruled out. Chelsea need a company man who won't rock the boat. Maresca proved he's anything but.