30 June 2026·By [Paul Vegas](/author/paul-vegas)
Chelsea have published a frank statement revealing that Enzo Maresca informed them last autumn of his desire to succeed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City despite being under a long-term contract.
The statement, released minutes after Manchester City announced Maresca's appointment on Monday, laid out the sequence of events in unsparing terms.
"Last autumn, our former head coach informed us that he might have the opportunity to succeed Pep Guardiola at the end of the season," Chelsea said. "It became clear to us that his great desire was to succeed Guardiola and that he was totally committed to that opportunity, despite having a long-term contract he could not rescind.
> "In December 2025, our head coach resigned in an unexpected and sudden way. Obviously, this disappointed us, as we believed his mind and his heart were set on another club and a new opportunity, after having only joined Chelsea the year before."
The club continued by addressing the circumstances of his exit and the settlement reached with City.
"No club wants to change its head coach mid-season. However, faced with his decision not to continue fulfilling his responsibilities until the end of the season, the club had no choice but to protect our players, our fans and the badge, and accept his resignation. In these circumstances, and given the mutual respect between the clubs, a confidential agreement has been reached with Manchester City, which includes the payment of compensation. A confidential agreement has also been reached with the former head coach, under which he will receive compensation."
Chelsea closed by affirming confidence in Xabi Alonso, the man who replaced Maresca for the remainder of the season and has since been appointed permanently.
"For next season, in Xabi Alonso we have a head coach with exceptional knowledge of football and the utmost integrity. He has all the qualities necessary to deliver the success that the club's fans deserve and expect."
The statement is one of the more direct pieces of public communication from an English club in recent memory — an unusually candid account of how a high-profile managerial departure unfolded, and one that leaves little ambiguity about Chelsea's view of how Maresca conducted himself.