Enzo Maresca got the sack because of his actions. That does not mean the club’s structure needs a complete overhaul
Some clubs build around their manager. Eddie Howe is hugely influential at Newcastle and Aston Villa are pretty much Unai Emery FC these days. Chelsea, though, have adopted an alternative model. They have a team of five sporting directors, led by Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, and do not want one person to hold all the power.
Yet the question many are asking in the wake of Enzo Maresca’s demise is whether the template will yield success at the very highest level. It is never quiet at Chelsea. They are often busy in the transfer market, meaning there is an element of players coming and going, and they are now looking for their fifth permanent head coach since a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm run by Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano, bought the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.
However, accusations that the swift unravelling of Maresca’s tenure proves that Chelsea have become unmanageable and lack the stability to compete for the title are over the top. True, they have a young squad and remain short of experience in some key positions. The idea they have failed, though, is not supported by results. It is worth remembering Arsenal had six years away from the Champions League before returning in 2023, whereas Chelsea only had to deal with a two-year hiatus before they regained a spot in Europe’s top club competition.
