Chelsea to launch legal complaint over Man City's Enzo Maresca pursuit

Chelsea are shaping up for a legal battle with Manchester City over their putative appointment of Enzo Maresca, who left Stamford Bridge at the start of the year. The expectation is that Chelsea will seek compensation from City, with the added threat of disclosure about the terms of Maresca's departure from Stamford Bridge, and the events in the months leading up to it. Neither club have commented on the situation.

Chelsea had started to fall away this season in the final weeks leading up to Maresca's sacking on January 2. The team were on a run of just one win in seven Premier League games. Before that run of poor results, Chelsea had been in second place in the Premier League. Maresca was appointed by Chelsea as the Championship-winning manager of Leicester City in the summer of 2024. After the win over Everton on December 13, Maresca said that he had experienced "the worst 48 hours" of his career. Chelsea play Tottenham Hotspur at home on Tuesday night currently out of the European places in 10th position. The club have appointed Xabi Alonso and his coaching team to take over in the summer.

For any action to be brought against City it is understood that a complaint would have to be made by Chelsea to the Premier League, which would then be obliged to investigate under the terms of its own rules. It is expected that the legal case Chelsea have in that regard will unfold when, as expected, Maresca is appointed by City.