Enzo Maresca has defied expectations by bringing order to the chaos at Stamford Bridge, despite dealing with feuding owners, a bloated squad, and immense pressure to turn Chelsea’s fortunes around. His strong start will be put to the test on Sunday when his fourth-placed Chelsea side face Premier League leaders Liverpool.
When Maresca first arrived at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground in the summer, few would have predicted the club would be involved in a top-of-the-table clash this season. While Liverpool’s new boss, Arne Slot, has inherited a solid foundation from Jurgen Klopp’s successful reign, Maresca has had to stabilize a club in turmoil.
Stamford Bridge, which fittingly borders Brompton Cemetery, has been a graveyard for managerial careers in recent years. Co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali sacked Thomas Tuchel just 100 days into their tenure, even though he led Chelsea to a Champions League title in 2021 under former owner Roman Abramovich.
Tuchel’s replacement, Graham Potter, arrived with a reputation as one of England’s brightest young coaches, but he was dismissed after less than seven months. Mauricio Pochettino, highly regarded in football circles, lasted only one season before leaving in May, opening the door for Maresca.
Maresca, 44, was brought in from Leicester after guiding them to Premier League promotion, though many were skeptical, suggesting he would be the next casualty of Chelsea’s managerial turmoil. In only his second season as a manager, after working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Maresca now faces the challenge of navigating internal conflicts between Boehly and Eghbali.
Boehly initially took on the role of sporting director during the first six months of the new regime, but Eghbali has since become the most involved figure in the ownership group. Reports suggest their relationship has soured, with disagreements over Pochettino’s departure, the club’s recruitment strategy, and the stalled progress on building a new stadium.
Despite that difficult background, Maresca has quietly embarked on a culture change that could help him buck the trend and arrest Chelsea’s decline.
Chelsea haven’t won the Premier League since 2017 and their domestic trophy drought has reached six years despite heavy spending on new signings.
Boehly and Eghbali have splashed out well over £1 billion ($1.3 billion) during their turbulent reign, using a haphazard recruitment policy that has been a key factor in Chelsea’s travails.
Yet Maresca’s time with the intense and tactically astute Guardiola has informed his approach to management, giving him the blueprint to rebuild Chelsea.
Tasked with improving an underachieving squad that finished sixth last season and 12th in the 2022-23 campaign, Maresca has coaxed mature performances from a largely youthful team.
Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Levi Colwill have flourished, while Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez are much improved on last year thanks to Maresca’s deft man-management.
“I’m very happy because what I expected in terms of players and level and style, I can see clearly that is there,” he said.
“We just started two, three months ago. But I’m very happy because the club is one of the best in the world. I’m very excited to play with them.”
The Blues are unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions, with four wins in seven league matches under Maresca.
Chelsea’s haul of 16 league goals this term is bettered only by champions Manchester City.
Improving on Chelsea’s dismal record of one win in their last 12 meetings with Liverpool in all competitions would be another significant feather in Maresca’s cap.
“Very good players, very good manager, very good club. We are excited to play this kind of game,” Maresca said.
