19 May 2026 17:50 BST |
5 min read
Chelsea are expected to seek compensation from Manchester City if they replace outgoing manager Pep Guardiola with Enzo Maresca at the end of the season, according to The Telegraph.
Widespread reports have indicated Guardiola will bring down the curtain on his legendary spell at City following the conclusion of their home clash against Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday.
And according to the Daily Mail, who first broke the news that Guardiola will end his 10-year stint in charge of City this weekend, the Catalan’s former assistant Maresca is expected to replace him on a three-year deal.
However, The Telegraph are now reporting that Chelsea are prepared to launch a legal complaint if Maresca, who was sacked by the Stamford Bridge club in January, takes over at the Etihad Stadium.
After Maresca was dismissed by Chelsea at the start of the year, it was revealed in The Athletic that the Italian had reportedly told the club’s hierarchy that he was approached by City regarding the possibility of replacing Guardiola at the end of the season.
The Telegraph reports that while the terms of the split between Chelsea and Maresca have not been made public, they say the allegation that he was talking to City has never been disputed.
After working in City’s academy for just shy of a year, Maresca took his first steps into senior management by joining Parma in May 2021, though he was sacked after just six months in charge.
The 46-year-old then became Guardiola’s assistant to the senior City team in June 2022, before becoming a number one again when signing a three-year contract with Championship side Leicester City a year later.
Maresca guided the Foxes to Premier League promotion in his first and only season at the King Power Stadium, before he took over the reins at Chelsea in June 2024, leading the Blues to Champions League qualification as well as the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup double in 2024-25.
However, Maresca’s relationship with Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali reportedly became strained after he described the lead up to the club’s 2-0 Premier League win over Everton last December as his “worst 48 hours” in charge.
And following a run of just one win in seven games over the Christmas period, Maresca was sacked by Chelsea, who appointed Liam Rosenior as his replacement. Englishman Rosenior, who was familiar to Chelsea’s BlueCo ownership having managed their sister club Strasbourg, was also dismissed after just 106 days in charge in April.
Man City yet to confirm reports of Guardiola’s imminent departure
While City are yet to officially announce Guardiola’s impending departure, the club are looking to remain in the Premier League title race when they travel to high-flying Bournemouth this evening.
If Guardiola’s men do not beat Europe-chasing Bournemouth then Arsenal will be crowned league champions for the first time since 2003-04, with the Gunners currently five points clear having played one game more.
Bournemouth meanwhile could mount huge pressure on Liverpool if they beat City on home soil, with Andoni Iraola’s charges currently sixth in the table and just four points behind Arne Slot’s fifth-placed Reds, who host Brentford on the last day of the season.
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