Chelsea FC v Paris Saint-Germain FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg
Marc Cucurella has been at Chelsea since 2022 (Picture: Getty)
Marc Cucurella has criticised Chelsea’s board for allowing Enzo Maresca to leave and says Arsenal are being ‘rewarded’ for the trust they showed in Mikel Arteta.
Maresca left Stamford Bridge at the start of January, less than six months after winning the Club World Cup at the end of his first season at Chelsea.
The Italian guided Chelsea to a fourth-place finish last season and won the Conference League, but a poor run of form in December and conflicts with his bosses led to his exit.
Chelsea enjoyed a promising start under Maresca’s replacement Liam Rosenior but the Blues have struggled since the start of February.
A Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal sparked a worrying run in which Chelsea were eliminated from the Champions League by PSG and won just one of their last six Premier League games.
Rosenior is already believed to be under pressure in west London and Cucurella, who has been at Chelsea since 2022, has bemoaned Maresca’s departure, pointing to the success Arsenal look set to enjoy under Arteta, a manager they backed despite some early teething problems.
‘Liam is a very good person and has been great at handling the group, the characters,’ Cucurella told The Athletic. ‘He likes to stay close to us and his football ideas are good, but we don’t have the time to train them.
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Newcastle United v Chelsea - Premier League
Enzo Maresca left Stamford Bridge in January (Picture: Getty)
‘We train on (playing in) competitive games, because we play every three days and that leaves you with no time to work on the training ground.
‘In this context, it is normal that your plans sometimes don’t work out, and then we go through difficult moments.
‘With Enzo Maresca in charge, we were more stable, because we worked together for 18 months. If you look at our first pre-season with him, there were doubts.
Everton v Chelsea - Premier League
Liam Rosenior is already under pressure at Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
‘You need a process for every player to understand what we need to do. In our last months with Maresca, we played almost by heart. If we changed the system, we knew what we had to do. You need that time.
‘Look at Arsenal now, who are fighting for every trophy. They’ve been with (Mikel) Arteta for almost seven years and they have not won much. But that trust in the project gives rewards.’
Cucurella added: ‘We knew what Maresca wanted from us. Winning a title like the Club World Cup also helps, strengthens the bond, and you create great relationships during the celebrations.
Chelsea FC v Paris Saint-Germain FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg
Chelsea were thrashed by PSG in the Champions League (Picture: Getty)
‘When a manager gives you that confidence and offers you a platform to fight for titles, you’d die for him.
‘The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us. These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision.
‘To make a change like that, the best thing is to wait until the end of the season. You would give everyone, the players and the new manager, time to get ready, have a full pre-season…
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‘The instability around the club comes from this, in a nutshell. We had a caretaker first, then a new manager, with new ideas and no time to work on them. It is what it is.’
Cucurella has also criticised Chelsea’s transfer policy which has seen a number of talented but inexperienced players arrive at Stamford Bridge.
‘I understand this is part of the club’s policy, and that they want to take this direction – signing young players and looking to the future,’ Cucurella said.
‘But, for all of us who are still here and want to win big things, moments like this make you feel discouraged. We have a good core of players. The foundations are there.
‘But to fight for major trophies such as the Premier League or the Champions League, you need more. Signing young players only might complicate achieving those goals.
‘You need time as well, and I know the young players are the ones that will have the experience in the future. But you need to find the balance between both worlds.’
Chelsea’s recent dip has left them sixth in the Premier League, six points outside the top-four places. The Blues are in FA Cup action this weekend, facing League One strugglers Port Vale for a place in the semi-finals.
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