Enzo Maresca saw his contract with Chelsea terminated this week, leaving the Blues scrambling to appoint a successor - and Mikel Arteta has now given his verdict on the Italian head coach's exit
Aaron Morris Senior Sports Reporter
10:09, 02 Jan 2026Updated 10:23, 02 Jan 2026
Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca walk
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Mikel Arteta has spoken about Enzo Maresca(Image: PA)
Mikel Arteta has said that Enzo Maresca did a "terrific job" at Chelsea, as questions remain unanswered with regards to the Italian's exit from Stamford Bridge.
The news broke on Thursday morning that the Blues had parted ways with their head coach of a year and a half, after the 45-year-old managed to guide his club to victory just once in his last seven matches. A statement from Chelsea read: "Chelsea Football Club and Head Coach Enzo Maresca have parted company.
"During his time at the Club, Enzo led the team to success in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Those achievements will remain an important part of the Club’s recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the Club.
"With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the Club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track. We wish Enzo well for the future."
And now, Arteta has had his say on the decision which was made earlier this week. Speaking during a pre-match press conference while looking ahead to Saturday's clash between Arsenal and Bournemouth, the Spaniard said: " Well, I wish him all the best.
"I really like Enzo as a person, as a profession. I think he's done a terrific job at Chelsea, and that's a decision that has been made, and I just wish him all the best."
If Maresca has done such a brilliant job with Chelsea, then it begs the question as to why the Blues made the decision to part ways with the head coach, who guided his team to a Club World Cup win last summer. At the time of writing, Chelsea sit fifth in the Premier League standings with eight wins, six draws and five losses to show for their efforts.
Enzo Maresca looks on
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Enzo Maresca is no longer with Chelsea(Image: Getty Images)
However, league leaders Arsenal have managed to build a substantial 15 point lead on their London rivals, as Chelsea's hopes of winning the Premier League title grow slimmer and slimmer by the day. In the Champions League, meanwhile, Maresca oversaw three wins, a draw and two losses for the west London giants, currently sitting in 13th and looking likely to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament.
Chelsea's domestic cups still also remain in tact, set to face Arsenal in the semi-finals of the League Cup later this month, and also tasked with a clash with Charlton in the FA Cup. Despite inspiring performances on the pitch, it appears as though Maresca didn't quite see eye-to-eye with executives at Stamford Bridge ahead of his exit.
The head coach lambasted a lack of support in what he dubbed as the "worst 48 hours" of his tenure in the aftermath of a 3-1 loss to Leeds United last month. Speaking at the time, he 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.
"Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn't support us."
Football.London understand that Maresca's frustrations stemmed from falling out with his medical department, including pulling players prematurely from injury. In the wake of his exit from the club, a whole host of names have been linked with taking the reins at Chelsea.
Liam Rosenior is currently favourite to land the job given his reason success with Strasbourg. HIs last role on English soil was between 2022 and 2024, when he missed out on the Championship play-offs to the Premier League with Hull as a result of a seventh-place finish.
Elsewhere, Oliver Glasner, Filipe Luis, Cesc Fabregas and Francesco Farioli have all been mentioned by football fans and bookmakers as potential replacements at the Bridge, although time will tell who is next to be appointed in west London.
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