Enzo Maresca on verge of 'extraordinary' Chelsea sack as Todd Boehly identifies ideal 41-year-old successor

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is allegedly on the verge of being sacked by the Blues after his relationship with the club's hierarchy deteriorated further.

The former Leicester City head coach did not conduct his usual post-match press conference after Tuesday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Bournemouth; it was claimed at the time that Maresca was unable to fulfil his media duties due to illness.

However, reports have since emerged claiming that Maresca was not feeling unwell but was instead considering his future at Stamford Bridge, where tensions between himself and the powers-that-be have been rising in recent weeks.

Maresca memorably made a reference to the "worst 48 hours" of his Chelsea career after December's 2-0 win over Everton, hitting out at a "lack of support" without specifying where the doubts stemmed from.

Now, The Guardian has stated that there has been a complete breakdown in Maresca's relationship with Chelsea, and it is 'highly likely' that the Italian will be removed from his position on New Year's Day.

Chelsea to hold 'emergency talks' over Enzo Maresca future

The report claims that 'emergency talks' will soon take place to discuss Maresca's position, and there is an expectation that he will not be in the dugout for Chelsea's clash with Manchester City on Sunday.

The 45-year-old is said to want to leave the club after a turbulent few weeks, but he is still under contract for another three and a half years, and it is not clear whether he is willing to leave his post without financial compensation.

Maresca's 48-hour comment is said to have been one of a few 'self-inflicted wounds' from the manager in the eyes of the Chelsea board, who have also had their 'patience tested' by the Italian's in-game decisions and off-field conduct.

Chelsea's midweek draw with Bournemouth means that they have won just two of their last nine matches in all tournaments, but the powers-that-be were allegedly willing to give Maresca more time to turn the club's fortunes around, albeit while acknowledging that he could be let go next month if he failed to oversee a January revival.

However, the 'extraordinary' pace of developments means that Chelsea have now made contingency plans in case of Maresca's premature departure, which now appears to be a case of when rather than if.

Should the head coach leave before Man City - whom he has been tipped to succeed Pep Guardiola at - he will head for the exit door with a record of 55 wins, 15 draws and 20 defeats since replacing Mauricio Pochettino in 2024.

Maresca is rumoured to be miffed at his lack of control over new signings at Chelsea, who have a firm recruitment structure in place, but the club reject the notion that he is given orders on his team selection from higher up.

Who could replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea?

Talk about kicking the New Year off with a bang - Maresca and Chelsea had the signs of a divorce waiting to happen after his 48 hours rant, but few could have expected the speed of a complete relationship collapse.

Whether Maresca's coaching staff will leave with him is unknown, but his assistant Willy Caballero would be an option to step in for a caretaker period until the Blues can hire a permanent successor.

One name that stands out for the Club World Cup winners is Liam Rosenior, head coach of Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg and a man who has supposedly been viewed as a long-term Maresca replacement for some time.

Oliver Glasner, Xavi, Andoni Iraola and maybe even Gareth Southgate could also be linked with the job, but if Strasbourg can hire a suitable replacement for Rosenior in good time, the 41-year-old could swiftly move to Stamford Bridge.