Serie A return unlikely for Maresca after Italian sacked by Chelsea

After eighteen months in charge, Italian coach Enzo Maresca has left Premier League club Chelsea, with a breakdown in relations between the board and the coach partly responsible.

After some inconsistent results, the relationship grew more fractured between club and coach, coming to a boiling point after Maresca reportedly revealed to the Chelsea directors that he had been touch over potentially succeeding Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Guardiola looks like he might leave the Premier League giants in the summer and Maresca has been identified as a potential replacement.

Therefore, at the moment, a potential return to Serie A for Italian Maresca seems unlikely – as Manchester City will step up their pursuit of the former Guardiola pupil.

Despite a journeyman playing career, turning out for the likes of Juventus, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Palermo in Italy, Maresca never really spent much time in his home country once he retired.

In 2021, he spent a brief spell at Parma before joining Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s assistant coach in 2022.

In 2023, the Italian joined Leicester City as head coach, leading them to promotion before making the move to Stamford Bridge in 2024.