Chelsea’s departure from manager Enzo Maresca descended into a public war of words on Thursday when the club’s extraordinary briefing about the Italian was broadcast live on Sky Sports. “The feeling at Chelsea is he has a lack of mental fortitude and emotional maturity,” Sky Sports presenter Dave Jones read during coverage of Liverpool’s clash with Leeds. The 45-year-old parted ways with the Blues following what the club described as a “spectacular breakdown” in his relationship with senior officials at Stamford Bridge, with his position becoming untenable after winning just one of the team’s last seven Premier League matches.
The split came after Maresca’s public outburst claiming he had endured his “worst 48 hours” following a victory over Everton, which related to serious friction with the medical department over injured player management. Chelsea officials were further displeased when Maresca skipped Tuesday’s post-match press conference citing illness—a claim the club hierarchy did not believe, considering the move “unprofessional, disrespectful and also unfair” to assistant Willy Caballero who had to deputize. The club has compiled a shortlist of potential replacements including bookmakers’ favorite Liam Rosenior and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, with the new manager expected to be in place for Wednesday’s derby at Fulham.