Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Enzo Maresca’s exit from Chelsea caused plenty of controversy at the time, and now he finds himself in charge of Manchester City.
Enzo Maresca’s 18-month run at Chelsea brought silverware, but the cracks behind the scenes never really healed. Things got messy over player rotation and medical protocols, with Maresca repeatedly locking horns with the club’s medical staff over who had the final say on match fitness.
Throw in his public complaints about a “difficult 48 hours” and lingering chatter about the Manchester City job, and trust with ownership completely eroded.
After a brutal midseason slide, the relationship broke down for good, leading to his exit on New Year’s Day.
Frank Lampard touches on Enzo Maresca’s time at Chelsea
Speaking in his Coventry City press conference ahead of their match with Manchester City this weekend, Chelsea legend Frank Lampard was asked about Enzo Maresca.
And in true Lampard style, he kept it classy.
Lampard said: “He’s had a very, very good career… I’ve followed his career path and obviously when he goes to Chelsea I follow it slightly more closely.
“Nothing but good things to say in terms of him as a coach, he’s had a very good career and goes into what is a tough job, to follow one of the greatest managers we’ve ever seen in Pep Guardiola. That’s not easy.
“So absolutely I see that side of it, but also very good foundations for him to continue his good work with the team, the quality he’s got there…”
Frank Lampard hasn’t had the best time of things at Chelsea on the managerial front.
His first managerial run at Chelsea started strong, securing a top-four finish during a transfer ban. But high-spending expectations and defensive flaws soon unraveled his side, leading to his sacking. And Lampard’s 2023 interim return was disastrous, winning just one of eleven games.