Enzo Maresca says sorry for Chelsea "disruption" after becoming Manchester City manager

New Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has released a public statement to apologise to Chelsea for his exit in January.

Despite only being 18 months into a five-year contract, Maresca's shock departure from Stamford Bridge was announced on New Year's Day.

Widespread reports at the time suggested that he had informed Chelsea of his desire to succeed Pep Guardiola at Man City, whenever the Spaniard was ready to end his trophy-laden stint at the Etihad Stadium.

On Monday afternoon, Man City confirmed the appointment of Maresca, while Chelsea released a statement to explain the details over the Italian's exit and why they had fought hard for substantial compensation.

As well as Chelsea taking aim at Maresca for his exit contributing to the club missing out on European football for 2026-27, the 46-year-old has published his own response to accept the role that his decision played in the Blues' downward trajectory.

Maresca apologises for Chelsea exit

In a statement on Instagram, Maresca 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."

Chelsea keen to paint specific Maresca picture

While every detail of the breakdown of Maresca's relationship with Chelsea are unlikely to become public knowledge, it is clear that BlueCo wanted to defend themselves in the strongest way possible.

Not only have they received an alleged £17m in compensation, they have blamed Maresca's exit for their recent downfall and have gotten a public apology out of their former boss.

From BlueCo's perspective, they will be delighted with the outcome, and they can now press forward with Xabi Alonso at the helm.