Enzo Maresca Walked Away From £14m as Chelsea Exit Turned Ugly

Former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was reportedly so furious with the club’s ownership that he walked away from a compensation package worth around £14 million, bringing an explosive end to his short-lived reign at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s official line was that the club and Maresca mutually agreed to part ways, rather than it being a formal dismissal. That distinction proved crucial.

Had Chelsea sacked Maresca outright, reports suggest he would have been entitled to a payout in the region of £14m. By framing the exit as a mutual decision, the club avoided paying compensation — a scenario that appears to have suited both parties given the breakdown in their relationship.

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Mutual Exit, Financial Fallout

From Chelsea’s perspective, the mutual termination meant no contractual payout was required. From Maresca’s side, however, the situation appears to have been driven less by finances and more by frustration.

According to reports, the Italian was growing increasingly unhappy behind the scenes, feeling undermined by the club’s hierarchy during a turbulent period on and off the pitch.

The result was an ending that suited no one reputationally, even if it made financial sense for Chelsea.

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Pundit Criticism Grows

The fallout has sparked renewed criticism of Chelsea’s ownership, with an NBC Sports pundit becoming the latest public figure to question how the situation was handled over the weekend.

The perception among critics is that this episode fits into a wider pattern of instability at the club, particularly in how head coaches are supported — or not — once results begin to dip.

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Maresca ‘Angry’ at Being Undermined

Journalist Martin Lipton has reported that Maresca was left so angry by what he perceived as constant interference and a lack of backing that he chose to walk away from the £14m compensation he could have claimed.

Chelsea, for their part, are said to have accused the former manager of “emotional immaturity”, underlining just how fractured the relationship had become by the time the decision was made.

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Liam Rosenior Waiting in the Wings

Attention has already turned to Maresca’s potential successor. Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior now looks the leading candidate to step up as Chelsea head coach.

Rosenior appeared to hint at an imminent departure from the French club this week, even seemingly saying his goodbyes — further fuelling speculation that an announcement could be close.

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A Really Messy Ending

This saga has become increasingly public, with both sides briefing heavily to the media, resulting in conflicting narratives and an unflattering spotlight on Chelsea’s internal operations.

As is often the case, the full truth may never be known. There are clearly two sides to the story, but the version that has played out in public has done little to reflect well on Chelsea’s ownership.

What is clear is that this was an ugly and messy split, one that adds another chapter to the growing scrutiny surrounding how Chelsea are run at the very top.