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Maresca is a likely successor to Pep at Man City. |
Manchester City have not officially announced Pep Guardiola's successor, but Enzo Maresca is becoming the focal point of a new tension between the two Premier League giants.
According to British media, Chelsea are ready to file a complaint with the Premier League if Man City do not agree to pay appropriate compensation in the Maresca transfer deal.
The London club believes the Italian manager had previously been linked with Man City when he was still working at Stamford Bridge.
The controversy stemmed from news that Guardiola was preparing to leave Etihad after 10 years of tremendous success. Immediately afterwards, Maresca emerged as the leading candidate thanks to his time as Guardiola's assistant during the treble-winning season.
Chelsea are reportedly particularly angry that contact between Man City and Maresca took place before the 46-year-old manager left the club. If no private agreement is reached, the Stamford Bridge side could request the Premier League to launch an official investigation.
Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali also hinted that Maresca's departure wasn't entirely due to professional reasons. He stated that this wasn't a change the club desired and that numerous legal issues prevented Chelsea from publicly disclosing the full truth.
The relationship between Maresca and the Chelsea board is believed to have fractured since the end of 2025. The Italian manager had publicly complained about a lack of support after the defeat against Atalanta in the Champions League.
Furthermore, he was accused of ignoring the medical department's advice regarding player selection. Tensions escalated when reports emerged that Maresca had secretly negotiated with Manchester City and Juventus while still managing Chelsea.
Although Maresca's side insists Chelsea were informed of the contacts, the defeat against Aston Villa and the draw against Bournemouth at the end of 2025 will cause him to leave Stamford Bridge at the beginning of 2026.
Source: https://znews.vn/chelsea-doa-kien-man-city-post1652709.html
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