Enzo Maresca Held Talks With Two Clubs Before Chelsea Exit

In the months leading up to his departure, Enzo Maresca is reported to have 'disrespected' Chelsea by holding talks with representatives from two other clubs.

Chelsea have parted company with Maresca, who was relieved of his duties on New Year's Day following a poor run of form, as well as a reported deterioration in his relationship with the club's hierarchy.

Soon after the news was made official, further details surrounding Maresca's departure emerged, with talks around potentially succeeding Pep Guardiola at former club Manchester City being one of the standout revelations.

Maresca, who worked with City's under-21 team during the 2020-21 season before enjoying a spell as Guardiola's assistant, spoke to representatives at City regarding the managerial position on numerous occasions.

In fact, Maresca informed Chelsea in late October and again in mid-December that he was talking to people associated to City about 'his candidacy for the managerial position if and when a future vacancy arises', according to The Athletic.

Maresca held talks with Manchester City on numerous occasions. Image credit: Getty

Maresca, meanwhile, was contractually obliged to inform Chelsea of any discussions that he held with other clubs, which happened to be Manchester City and Serie A giants Juventus.

However, despite informing the club, Maresca is said to have 'disrespected' Chelsea by holding those talks, according to Sky Sports.

The report also claims Maresca 'lacked mental fortitude and emotional maturity' and went against the advice of the medical team at Chelsea on a number of occasions.

His "worst 48 hours" comment was said to be a reaction to the medical team's advice.

Speaking after Chelsea's 2-0 win over Everton in December, Maresca said: "The way the players want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise them - because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week."

He added: "Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."

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Chelsea will now work quickly to appoint a permanent replacement for Maresca from a shortlist of candidates. Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior is said to be a leading contender.