Chelsea were reportedly forced to bring in the club's medical head to the bench after former manager Enzo Maresca refused to substitute players returning from injury.
According to a Daily Mail report, the club's hierarchy also sent a letter to the manager, reminding him of his responsibilities. The decisions and reminders led to the relationship behind the scenes falling to an all-time low before the manager parted ways with the club.
The Italian made a surprise 'worst 48 hours' comment in December following a 2-0 win over Everton. He refused to provide any details about the comment to journalists or the club's hierarchy.
"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 reported after the manager parted ways that it was a dig at the medical department. He was being instructed on how many minutes each player could play, especially those who had returned from injury, and the manager did not appreciate it.
BBC Sport also reported that Maresaca consistently ignored advice and put players at risk in matches and training. He reportedly felt the club were focused on protecting player value rather than letting him use them as needed.
John Terry was 'shocked' at Chelsea's decision to part ways with Enzo Maresca
John Terry has been active on TikTok and commented on Chelsea's decision to part ways with Enzo Maresca. The Blues legend admitted that it was a shock, but hinted that there were issues behind the scenes and said (via Metro):
"I've had so many phone calls this morning after the news and everyone expects me to know what's happening. I haven't got a clue what's happening, I'm not involved in the first team so I don't know. Just my opinion from afar, there's clearly been tension between the manager and the owner and they've come to this decision."
"It's a big shock because rewind three or four weeks ago and we were playing so well against Barcelona. It was so good and fast forward four weeks and form and performances clearly haven't been good enough."
Chelsea have since appointed Liam Rosenior as the replacement, after Calum McFarlane took charge for two Premier League matches - a draw at Manchester City and a loss at Fulham.